The Odyssey of Sadie Adler
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: How exactly does someone go from homesteader to one of the most feared bounty hunters in the country? That is the question Levin seeks to answer in a follow-up to his best-seller, the life of the legendary gunslinger Jim "Boy" Calloway. Now, he seeks to document the story of Sadie Adler. Question is, how much will she be willing to re-tell?
1. The Odyssey Of Sadie Adler

**Legal: **I do not own Red Dead Redemption or the associated names, places, characters, events etc. All of those are owned by Rockstar Games. Anything not covered by the above rights should be presumed to be purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T – Adult themes, including violence and language.

**A/N: **Playing, and loving Red Dead Redemption 2, it truly is amazing. Still, out of all the larger-than-life characters, it has to be said my favourite has to be Sadie Adler, and while I'd love to see a future game with her as the protagonist, in the meantime I've got kind of a speculative idea for a storyline, following Sadie's journey through and into the after-events of the game. Let me know what you think, want me to continue? Let me know.

The sun had set a couple of hours back over Lemoyne, and the hot, still air was silent and still. So much so that the sound of the camp deep in the woods carried almost as far as the nearby town of Rhodes. Whooping laughter, singing, bawdy, drunken voices rang out from a campfire surrounded by covered wagons.

Jugs of potent moonshine were passed around, carelessly slopping onto the ground as they rested up after a long and busy day. One of the men stood up, holding up his hands to gesture for the party to quieten down. He was a portly man, wearing ragged, hard-wearing clothes as befitted the climate of the region. He had long, matted, filthy greying hair and a beard that looked like it contained almost a weeks' worth of dinners in it. The only thing about him that was kept in any kind of care was his gun-belt, which was made of black leather, and imprinted with intricate patterns. It held an old, though expertly maintained custom Cattleman revolver, which had served his father in the Civil War. While there were more modern firearms available in Rhodes, he had always figured why discard what had always worked? It had certainly seen a lot of use in his hands, and there was a graveyard nearby that could attest to the fact it was no less effective now than it was when his dad rode across Boulder Blade.

"My good men, today, we have once again struck a strong blow against the Federal Government that will remind them what happens when they try to encroach on our blessed Free State!" He called out drunkenly as his compatriots nodded in approval. He gestured to the wagons. "These stolen goods have been confiscated, taken to be given to those who earned them. We are not like those cowards and overdressed fops in San Denis. We are the last line of defence, the men who are willing to stand up and say 'No more! This is OUR land, and if you want it, you are welcome to try and take it!"

There was a lot of whooping and celebratory gunfire as he said this. The Lemoyne Raiders talked a lot about noble causes like taking back what was owed to them and defending their Free State. Mostly this meant "taxing" things like tax collectors and postal workers. The Federal Government generally just saw them as little more than bandits, thieves, murderers and most importantly, a major obstacle in their advancing plan to bring the country to a civilised united states. While the Raiders had started out as mainly Civil War veterans, the fact that the war had been over for well over three decades and there were hardly any of them who were even born while the conflict so central to their personal identity took place did little to dull their enthusiasm or make them think all they really wanted was an excuse to justify their crimes.

"Serge! You…you…you know what would make this night even more of a celebration?" One of them stammered as they started passing out cigars from one of the boxes taken from the wagons. 'Serge' was no more a sergeant than he was the President. He was given the honorific title by the Raiders, but his own military service amounted to a matter of days when he was a boy before his unit was disbanded due to lack of funding. He knew damn fine what the man was going to say next. "How's about we go into town and get us some ladies?"

"The one thing you will not find in Rhodes is ladies!" Serge told him. "Besides, we can't just wander into town yet. You know the plan. We need to wait until people stop looking for these wagons."

"But I was just thinking…"

"You don't think! That's what I'm for!" Serge told him. "There ain't nothin' we need that we ain't got right here. We've got food, we've got tobacco, we've got drink…and in a few days we'll have plenty of money for the Free State of Lemoyne."

"But…"

"Oh shut up Pete!" One of the others piped up. "You heard Serge. A couple of days and we'll go offload these wagons up in Emerald Ranch. Then when we've returned what belongs to the people, you can do what you damn well like with your share! Now just take this and shut up!"

Pete had a jug thrust into his hands, and opted to take the advice despite his disappointment. The Raiders continued to drink until one of them held up a hand.

"Hold up, I hear something." He said, silencing them all. He picked up his rifle and popped his cap onto his head. "I heard you! Whoever you are, come out where I can see you and make yourself known to the Free Militia of the State of Lemoyne!"

He levelled his rifle out into the gloom. They could see something coming towards them, something that quickly took on a vaguely human form. The figure held up their hands to indicate they were not holding any weapons. The other started to shift around, all preparing themselves in case they needed to act, readying their hands on their side-arms. The rifleman tightened up his grip, preparing for a warning shot. The figure finally stepped in far enough from the gloom to be seen.

"There's no need for that. I ain't here to cause trouble." A thickly accented voice stated.

"Uncover your face!" Serge ordered. The figure pulled off her hat. The men all relaxed a little seeing that it was a woman approaching, putting away their side-arms. The rifleman raised his weapon to a safe direction.

She was dressed in a very masculine way, with hard-wearing travelling clothes. She was armed, but that was just a sensible precaution for anyone travelling, especially alone. She had sandy-blonde hair, and a very pronounced scar over her brow. It looked like it had been a very deep injury, possibly almost to the bone given the depth of the scar. She gave them a smile. "My idiot horse got startled by a rattlesnake and bucked me. Damned if I can find her at this time. Mind if I rest up here until first light?"

The men looked around each other, murmuring as they considered her. The woman just smiled and headed for the fire.

"I'll take that as a 'yes' then." She stated, crouching down by the fire. She took off her gloves, warming her hands by the fire.

"It's a long way from the road." Serge said as he offered her a jug. The stranger took it, taking a little sip, before passing it back. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"You never know who you'll run into on the roads at this hour." She told him. "My horse is pretty good in the woods if I need to lose people. Unfortunately a little too good as it happens. Dumb mare, no doubt I'll find her by the river in the morning, sunning herself like nothin' happened."

"Ain't that the way." Serge replied, looking her up and down. She was an attractive woman, all things considered, something it seemed hadn't been lost on the rest of his unit. He didn't have to try hard to imagine what they were whispering about as they watched her make herself at home by the fire.

"So, have you come a long way?" He asked her.

"A very long way." She told him.

"Where are you headed?" He asked her.

"San Denis." She informed him.

"Really?" He asked her. "So, what business do you have there? You one of them rabble-rousers heading there to bang on about suffrage?"

"You ask a lot of questions." She responded.

"Like you said, you don't know who you'll meet on the roads at this hour." He commented.

"No, you really don't. Do you Emmanuel?" She asked. The murmuring stopped, and the men all stared at her. Serge took the cigar from his mouth.

"What did you just call me?" He asked her.

"Emmanuel, Emmanuel Edward Lee?" She asked him. She didn't really need him to answer, the reaction she got from the camp was all the confirmation she needed. She pulled out a piece of paper, putting it down on the ground. It was a wanted poster. "It's been a while since that was drawn, but I figure a few weeks without a wash or a shave, sitting around a camp stuffin' yourself so add a few pounds…that could definitely be you."

"It's a set-up!" Serge yelled, leaping to his feet and pulling out his revolver. The others all grabbed their weapons, quickly taking up a perimeter for the ambush. They didn't know if it was Pinkertons, bounty hunters or the law but clearly they had sent her in to distract them while they surrounded them. Serge and his unit started to scan the woods looking for any signs of movement, to see the posse coming for them. The first shot rang out, not from the woods, but from inside the camp. Serge snapped around in time to see one of his Raiders fall, a gaping wound in his head. It was then that he saw the stranger with a revolver in her hand.

With a savage yell, she ran for one of the others, burying a hunting knife in his gut and pulling upwards, opening him up as she swung around and took out a third before he could realise what was going on. She moved as quick as a cougar and just as lethal, she tore through his men, most of them only dimly aware that the ambush they were looking for was right in the middle of their own camp before she blew them away. Serge turned his gun for her, but as he opened fire she spun one of his own men between them, taking the round in her stead.

She threw herself to the ground, firing from her revolver. The round obliterated his kneecap, causing him to fall to the ground. She came over to him, picking up his fallen revolver and putting it in her belt.

"God damn you! ALL OF YOU!" He screamed out. "I am Sergeant Emmanuel Lee of the Lemoyne Militia, and I do not recognise the authority of…"

"Who in the hell are you screaming at?" The stranger asked him.

"The Pinkertons, the law, whoever you've got out there…"

"There ain't no one here but us pal." She assured him, before noticing one of the Raiders crawling away. She levelled her pistol, putting a round through the back of his head. "Well, now there ain't."

"You…you came here alone?" He asked. "There's no way anyone would…"

"I don't need no damn posse getting in the way and then taking a piece of the bounty!" She told him. "Not for a joker like you. That hundred and twenty bucks on your head? That's all going right to me once I drop you off in Saint Denis."

She kicked him over, grabbing his hands and wrestling them behind his back, trussing him up tightly. She slapped his cheek a couple of times. "Now, you don't go anywhere, I just have a few little things to do here."

She started going around the camp, finding whatever could be of use to her, other items she just tossed back to the ground or the wagons. It was when she pulled out her knife and went to one of his boys that he became enraged, watching as she started cutting.

"You God Damned witch!" He screamed at her. "Does dignity mean nothing to you?"

"For people, yeah, but around these parts it seems you boys are a lot like rats. As far as the authorities are concerned the more of you dead the better. All they need is enough to prove that they're dead and they'll pay. It's not much, but it buys dinner. You though, they want you for a hangin'. That's why you get special treatment. They wanted you in one piece to hang. Good thing they never said what condition that one piece had to be in, that knee does not look good."

She took a belt from one of the fallen Raiders and started to fashion a tourniquet. Emmanuel realised she was serious. She didn't care that he would almost certainly lose the leg, she only cared that he was alive when she took him to the police station to collect the bounty. They were only going to hang him anyway; gangrene was the least of her concerns. As she finished up her work, she whistled. A few moments later, a jet black Arabian trotted into the camp.

He just stared at her.

"You…you were telling the truth. You really are alone." He stated.

"Well, not quite. I've got her." She said, flicking a thumb in the direction of her horse as she helped herself to one of the cigars from the camp. "She did buck me because of a rattlesnake, she always was skittish around those, but she never goes too far."

"You're her aren't you?" He asked. "I…I heard stories but, I always thought…"

"Thing about stories is, usually at least parts of 'em are true." She responded, shoving a rag into his mouth. "Now pipe down, because I really like to concentrate on the ride to San Denis. Those gators can be hard to spot."

Some time later in San Denis police station, the chief was busy with his paperwork, signing transfer orders to Sisika, execution orders and suchlike, when he became aware of a commotion out front. He got up from his desk, just as the front door was kicked in. A woman was carrying a large man across her shoulders as she made her way through, before dumping him right on his desk.

"Here you go, I believe you've been looking for this feller, Emmanuel Lee." She declared. The chief just stared at her. "Well, come on, what are you waiting for? Do you have any idea how much that son of a bitch weighs?"

"You brought in Emmanuel Lee?" He asked.

"Trust me, that's him alright." She told him. "Got eight of his boys as well."

"With all due respect ma'am, it's easy to just say you've killed eight…"

The woman pulled out a bag and dumped its contents, eight human ears, onto the desk. The Captain just stared at the scene.

"Alright, so Emmanuel Lee is a hundred and twenty, and I believe the going rate is two dollars a go for Raiders so I make that a hundred and thirty six dollars." She told him, holding out her hand. The chief just crossed his arms. "What? Do you doubt my counting?"

The chief just sighed and went into a drawer in the desk, opening a locked box. She watched as he started to count, before handing her a couple of notes. She just blinked and held up the money.

"Is this a joke?" She asked him. "I brought that son of a bitch in alive, that's a hundred and twenty dollars!"

"Barely!" He snapped at her. "He's bleeding all over the desk!"

"But he's on your desk ain't he?" She asked. "Last count I did he and his boys had killed about eight of the other jokers you'd sent after him, and you're going to try and short me?"

"Have you seen his leg?" He asked. "He's probably going to lose it!"

"Two legs, one leg, eight legs what the hell's the difference? You're just going to hang 'im!" She protested. "Hell, if you do it quick enough he won't need to lose the leg."

"I hired you to bring him in, and to do it in one piece." He told her.

"He is in one piece, he ain't lost the leg yet." She reminded him. "And last I checked, the bounty just called for him ALIVE. It didn't say nothin' about being done up in his Sunday best, clean-shaven and with a smile on his face!"

"You bring in part of the man, we pay you part of the bounty." He told her. "Fifty dollars, take it or leave it."

"We both know what this is really about." She stated, taking a step forward, right into his face. "You sent a bunch of guys that couldn't get the job done. Then a woman comes along and does in three days what all of them failed to do for months. Now, you're trying to cheat me out of what I earned fair and square."

"Take it or leave it." The captain reiterated arrogantly. The woman smiled, before pulling out her revolver, placing it on Emmanuel's skull. "HEY!"

"Seems to me the only way he's any good to you is if you have him here for a hangin', make it look like you and your boys are doing their job." She said, cocking the hammer. "I pull this trigger and he's worthless…and you'll need to mop his brains off the floor to boot!"

The captain thought about it for a moment, before going back to the lock box and getting the rest of the money out. She snatched it off him.

"Thank you for your services Ms…"

"Adler." She answered, putting her revolver away. "Mrs. Sadie Adler."

With that, she turned and trudged out of the police station. She had faced situations like this before. Even though her reputation was starting to spread, there were still those that believed she would accept whatever they were willing to pay for her services. She risked her life every bit as much as any male bounty hunter did. If she was going to do the work, she was going to get the pay. It was that simple.

Sadie got to Doyle's Tavern, eager for a drink and a meal. The Raiders had plenty of moonshine, but that never did sit well with her, and having just been paid, she was eager to get a good meal before heading back out into the wilderness for the next bounty. She tapped the bar twice, at which the barman slid her a whisky, her usual order. She was a regular whenever her business took her out to Saint Denis. There were better taverns, but most of them looked down on a female patron. Since this place had to regularly close down while someone shot all the rats they only cared that the patrons were able to pay. She tossed the money onto the bar, way more than was needed for the drink, but then both she and the barman knew she'd have more than one. She finished her first quickly, banging it on the counter for a second. After pouring it, she let the barman go to see someone else. She let out a sigh as she realised someone was staring at her.

"Unless you're buyin', I'd appreciate it if you'd stare someplace else." She told him.

"It's…it's you, it's really you isn't it?" The stranger asked.

"Well, that's pretty obvious." She answered snidely. "So how about you tell me who you think I am?"

"You're Sadie Adler, the bounty hunter aren't you?" He asked.

"Clearly you know I am." She remarked. "So, do you have a bounty or you just like staring at strangers?"

"My name is Theodore Levin." He said, sitting next to her, offering her a hand. She just looked at it, before shaking her head and looking away.

"You're the one that wrote that book about Calloway aren't you?" She asked him.

"Why, yes! Yes I did!" He stated. "As a matter of fact, my publisher has just ordered a fourth printing run! It's a huge success!"

"Well, good for you." Sadie replied. "I guess people like fiction."

"People like great stories. Unique, fascinating tales!" He declared excitedly. "Unfortunately tales only stay that way for a little while, then people want another story."

"So go write one then." She told him.

"That's exactly what I wanted to do. It's why I've been searching for you the length and breadth of this land." He told her. This made Sadie pause. She turned to him slowly, her hand straying to her holster.

"Now, saying things like that can get dangerous." She warned him. "I don't much like people following me."

"Please, I mean you no harm, quite the opposite in fact!" He assured her. "The woman that became the most feared and successful bounty hunter in all of West Elizabeth! What could be a greater story than that?"

"No thank you." She replied. "I heard how your story ended for Boy Calloway. I don't much feel like ending up the same way. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"But…buy…please, hear me out!" He begged her.

"Now listen, I'm starting to lose my patience here, and when I lose my patience, bad things happen to people!" She snapped. "Now leave me al…"

"We had a mutual friend!" He rushed out, trying to think of something to say to convince her.

"Well, it's a small world that may just be the case." She told him. He pulled in really close to whisper to her.

"You called my book about Calloway fiction. There's only one person that knew that was the case." He said, being mindful of the fact his best-seller would become worthless if anyone ever realised it was complete fabrication. "My collaborator was Tacitus Kilgore."

Sadie paused as she heard the name. It was a name that she hadn't heard in a long time, but one that still resounded with her to this day. She gestured to Levin to sit.

"You're paying." She told him. "Barkeep! Let's see some beans over here!"

"Tacitus did speak of you in the short time we knew each other. It was how I knew you'd be a wonderful follow-up to Calloway…"

"Just…don't do me any favours like you did Calloway." She responded. "So, what do you want?"

He pulled out a pad and some pens.

"I just need to ask you some questions." He responded. "The first is, how exactly does one go from a rancher to being one of the most feared people in all of the State?"

"Now that…that is a mighty big question." She told him, gesturing to a bottle behind the bar. "At least a three dollar bottle question."


	2. A Home in the Hills

Levin sighed as he watched Sadie polishing off a large dish of pork and beans, washing it down with a shot from the bottle she'd made him buy. It was certainly not the worst thing he'd ever had to do to procure a story. Hell, by comparison to the months of hell he'd endured watching Jim "Boy" Calloway stagger from one slop house to the next the entire length and breadth of the state only for him to end up having to make up more than half the story anyway because it turned out Calloway had either lied about, exaggerated or forgotten about pretty much anything of note in his life, presuming he had even accomplished anything, this had been child's play so far. Certainly it was costing him less, so far. Unfortunately though, after a couple of hours in the saloon, he still hadn't heard anything from Sadie since she asked for the whisky.

"Ms..."

"Mrs!" She corrected him.

"Of course, Mrs Adler." He replied as he tried to get her to speak. "I don't mean to be pushy, but we have been here quite some time."

"Not so far." She replied, looking at a pocket watch. It was a very fancy looking timepiece, one that didn't seem to fit with anything else she possessed. Her clothes, her weapons, everything else seemed very practical in nature. Her clothes were hard-wearing, and clearly she'd had them for a while. Her weapons, the tools of her trade, were well-maintained just as he'd expect from someone in her line of work. However, unlike Calloway, whose revolver was a highly decorative piece, with his personal mantra of "Canis Canem Edit", Latin for "Dog Eat Dog" engraved down the side...something he'd unfortunately seen more than once when Calloway's drunken stupors caused him to bring it out to re-enact scenes from his life, more than once with almost tragic consequences, hers were rather plain by comparison. Not quite manufacturer-standard but certainly not as gaudy and obscenely decorated as some of the gunslingers' weapons he'd seen. The watch though was an extremely decorative piece, foreign made, intricately patterned. "Only a couple of hours. Why, you have somewhere you need to be? Cause I ain't keepin' you. The door's right there."

"Mrs Adler...you haven't actually told me anything yet." He reminded her. "You did promise me a story."

"I promised I'd tell you about my story. I ain't no writer." She answered, pouring herself another whisky. "That's your department."

"But you said if I paid for your dinner..."

"Look, I...I ain't no writer, like I said. I never was much for story books. I wouldn't know what you want to know. I wouldn't even know where to begin." She told him in her exasperation. "Maybe if you told me what you wanted to know..."

"Alright, I think I have an idea." He suggested. "How about if I ask you some questions and you answer them as fully as you can? Maybe it'll get you started and we can see where we go from there?"

Sadie looked at the watch again, before putting it away.

"I've got nowhere I need to be for a while." She answered. "Go ahead."

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere." Levin said as he prepared his pen and his notepad. "Would you perhaps be more comfortable at a table?"

"I'm fine here at the bar." She answered.

"Alright then." He said as he tried to think of where to start. This was not going well at all. With Calloway, the problem wasn't getting a story out of him; more often than not getting him to shut up was the real trick. The main issues he had with Calloway were piecing together the rambling, drunken and nonsensical rants and grumbles and trying to piece together what was true, what was confused and what was complete bullshit that he ended up contradicting all by himself only moments after saying it.

His publisher was eager, hungry even, for a book as successful as his biography of Calloway, but as time went by and Levin struggled to come up with anything, his publisher became more and more impatient. It was when he was starting to threaten considering looking for other more productive writers that Levin told him about a name he kept hearing. Sadie Adler. The name appeared in newspapers across the state, in connection to the arrest of some of the most vile and dangerous outlaws that had evaded capture and the noose for years. That alone would have made her story worth telling, but to hear that a woman was the one that had ended the reign of terror of criminals that dozens of Pinkertons and deputies had failed to bring in...that was the kind of story he was sure that people would want to read. If he could ever write it that was!

Like he had insisted with Sadie, he figured the best place to begin was the person. Whether it was a biography or a fictional story, he always found that the person behind the legend was what was fascinating. Legends were exciting, but behind them were people, people with lives, hopes, dreams...things that made them human.

"Alright, let me think." He suddenly hit on a thought. "You call yourself Mrs Adler."

"It's my name, why wouldn't I?" She asked him.

"What I mean is, does that mean there's a Mr Adler?" He asked her. Sadie fell silent. She looked to her left hand. She still wore her ring, even now all these years later.

"There was." She said in a barely audible voice. Levin felt a little uneasy hearing this. It was clear that this touched a nerve, but whether he was worried she'd lash out at him for bringing up something upsetting or she'd stop talking altogether sometimes in writing, a little force was needed to approach uncomfortable subjects. It was an important part of her story, something that wasn't brought up anywhere.

"Do you mind if I ask his name?" He asked her.

"Jake." She replied. "His name was Jake."

Sadie's mind drifted back to those days. She and Jake had known each other since they were kids. She couldn't say exactly when they had fallen for each other, truth be told, she couldn't remember a time they hadn't been sweet on each other. Long before they started courting, they were always together. It surprised precisely no one when they announced they were getting married.

In the past, years before, she was in the homestead they had set up together in the mountains, preparing the meal. She and Jake had wanted to strike out on their own, make a life for themselves somewhere no one would bother them. It wasn't that they wanted to be hermits; they just liked having a little distance to live life the way they wanted to. That and the land closer to the town they grew up in was becoming a lot more built up and so going a little further out allowed them to claim just a little more than they would be able to in town. There still was vast expanses of the country that no one "owned" yet, and so only a little way out from the major towns all one had to do to claim land was actually live there.

The plan did have its drawbacks. They were in the mountains, which meant when winter came around; they would get cut off as the snow came down. It did afford them a lot of privacy, and all it meant was they had to be a little more canny about their preparations for things. They would buy some pigs after the thaw and fatten them up for a few months before selling them to the butcher in town to earn just enough to buy in the supplies they'd need in time for the next freeze. They always made sure to have plenty of canned foods stored up before the weather turned, and there was plenty of game to hunt up there. It was a small price to pay for the life they'd built for themselves.

The winds whipped in as the door opened and Jake stumbled in, slamming it behind him. He whipped off his gloves and started blowing into his hands.

"Good lord it's wild out there!" Jake declared as he went to the fire to start warming himself up. "That blizzard is a killer! Good thing I know this place so well, couldn't see a damn thing. A guy could get lost for days out there!"

"I guess we're getting the big freeze a little early this year." She remarked as she greeted him with a warm kiss. "So, did you bring anything back?"

"Uh...not such a productive day I'm afraid." He said, hanging his rifle up over the fireplace. He did sound really disappointed, while they had plenty of provisions, they also hunted. Both of them did. Sadie didn't know if it was what some people called 'progressive' and frankly she didn't care, but she and Jake had always shared the work on their homestead, all of the work. Both of them hunted, both of them gathered, both of them did work for the household. She didn't really care what others thought about a woman who not only enjoyed hunting but often brought home more than a lot of guys in town did, the life suited them and that was all that mattered. She just cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Really? There was nothin' out there?" She asked him, gesturing to four skinned rabbits hanging up waiting to be salted. The fifth was already in the pot. "Because I got on just fine."

"It was just...an unlucky day." He responded unconvincingly. She just looked deep into his eyes.

"You went after him again didn't you?" She asked. "That white bison?"

"I might have spotted a bison..."

"Oh Jakey, what are we going to do with you?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "You know there's plenty of other game right?"

"I know, but that bison..."

"If all you concentrate on is that bison then we'd both starve to death while you try to bag it!" She teased him. "Besides, I can't help noticing you were the only one that's seen him. I'm starting to think it's like that salmon you keep talking about in Lake Isabella!"

"Hey, both of those are real!" He insisted.

"Oh, really, like that white horse you've promised to catch for me?" She asked him.

"That's real too! I'll show you some time!" He promised her. Sadie just shook his head and wrapped her arms around him.

"Jakey, how many times do I need to tell you? I don't need no fairy-tale bison or some legendary white horse." She assured him, drawing in closer. "I've got all I need right here."

She did. It was a life she loved. It didn't even matter to them both that fate, or the almighty, whatever anyone wanted to call it, had never chosen to bless them with a child. They had tried for a couple of years, but it became clear it was just something that was never destined for them. They never even thought to see a doctor to find out why they never had children. All they needed was each other. If that was all they had, Sadie would have been happy until her final days.

"Really?" Levin asked. "You lived all the way up in the mountains and you were happy?"

"As happy as any couple ever was." Sadie responded.

"You lived up near Lake Isabella? My God, you must have been frozen in up there almost half the year!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, and that was the way we liked it. People weren't walkin' around, judgin' us, tellin' us what we were and weren't meant to be and what we were meant to want." She responded a little forcefully. "I never wanted to leave."

"So...if you don't mind me asking...why did you?" He asked her. Sadie finished her drink and looked into her reflection in the glass, to the long, deep scar above her brow.

The nights drew in quickly in the winter, but it did make for the most wonderful atmosphere. There was nothing she loved more than when the winter cut them off from the rest of the world, and they would sit with the warm, orange glow of the fire as the only light. Sadie and Jake held her in his arms, wrapping them both in a thick, warm blanket. The days were short now, with only a few hours of light in which to hunt, meaning that most of their time was now spent indoors with each other. She wasn't sure exactly how seriously she took the bible or the church, having been a good few years since she'd last had call to go, but of all the things she could imagine, this was her idea of heaven.

She blew on her harmonica, a gift that Jake had bought for her while they were courting. She never really did learn how to play. At least, she'd never taken any lessons or bought any books or anything, but since her only audience was Jake, it didn't matter. Jake seemed to enjoy it regardless. Either that or he liked watching her try to play, but either way it was still how she always thought of Jake.

"You're definitely getting better." He whispered in her ear.

"I couldn't get any worse." She chuckled. "Maybe another ten years or so I'll have figured out how to play an actual song."

"But it is a real song." He assured her. "It's just a new one that you've written."

She placed the harmonica aside, turning to face him, before kissing him deeply as they sank towards the floor under the covers. They were interrupted by a knock on the door. They both looked up.

"Who's there?" Jake asked. There was a slightly gruff sounding voice from outside.

"Hello? Hello, can you help me?" He asked. "I've lost my way!"

"Travelling in this, I'm not surprised!" Sadie whispered. The winter had come down especially harshly tonight, and between the dark and the blizzard it was impossible to see more than a few feet. Travelling in these conditions wasn't just unsafe, it was insane bordering on suicidal. Anyone caught without shelter in the mountains in the blizzard would succumb to the cold very quickly. Jake moved her aside. "Jake, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to help." He told her. "I'm just coming; I'm just...getting dressed!"

"Jake, you have no idea who's out there!" She protested.

"I know that anyone out there is in big trouble tonight." He told her.

"Jake, this don't feel right. What are they doin' travellin' in weather like this?" She asked him.

"Hello? Sir? Are...are you going to help?" The man called from outside. "I'm lost and I'm hungry and...and it's real cold out here!"

"Yeah, just a moment, I'm just...getting dressed!" Jake repeated, pulling on his boots.

"Jake, we have no idea who this feller is." She reminded him. He looked between the door and Sadie, and she could see he was torn. Jake was generous and kind to a fault. She knew he'd always try to help someone in need if he could. More than that, if they turned away this stranger it was tantamount to a death sentence. Unless they found suitable shelter soon they'd almost certainly be dead long before morning. However, he also had some of the same thoughts Sadie had. There weren't many good reasons for anyone to be out this far. The nearest thing that was even close to a settlement was an old mining camp that had been abandoned since the mine had been picked clean a few years ago. If the stranger had lost his way, then they had to wonder where they had lost their way from! After thinking about it for a while, Jake lifted his gun belt from the hook on the wall, strapping it on. He handed Sadie her revolver, while he went to the door, standing with his holster on the opposite side to the door. Sadie was a pretty good shot, between her covering him and having his own revolver to hand, if the stranger was up to no good, then at least they were ready. Sadie checked the chamber, before readying her weapon.

"Alright, I'm just coming to the door!" Jake called through the door. He opened it slowly, getting a look at the man outside. He was quite portly, a lot more so than he'd expect from someone who was travelling a lot, and he had a long beard. He was wearing thick, warm clothing as suited the weather.

"Sorry it took so long. I just couldn't find my...boots." Jake told him. The man smiled.

"Couldn't find your gun more likely." He responded. Jake looked uncomfortable as he said this. Sadie knew he probably felt badly about treating him suspiciously. Jake always did like to see and expect the best in people. He always said that if people treated each other well, then people would live up to those expectations. It was a little sugary and optimistic for Sadie's liking, but she did always love the way that Jake did always did see what things could be rather than the worst of what was.

"Well, I...um..."

"Hey, no worries stranger. You're just being careful, keeping what's yours safe." The stranger replied. "I'd be the same way if some idiot stranger staggered out of the mountains looking for food and shelter."

The man extended a hand to Jake.

"The name's Tom." He greeted him.

"Jake." He said, shaking Tom's hand. "This is my wife, Sadie."

"It's a pleasure ma'am." He answered. Jake started to step aside, gesturing the man to enter, but he stopped short when he felt his arm pulling back. It was only then he realised Tom hadn't let go of his hand. In fact, he was holding it a lot more tightly now. Painfully tightly! He pulled Jake back towards him, grabbing him around the neck and pulling out his revolver. "Come on in boys!"

Sadie could see what was unfolding before her. Tom wasn't alone! The dark had concealed his friends! She daren't risk taking a shot while Tom was holding Jake, but as the first of his friends came through the door, she opened fire. The shot hit him straight in the heart, dropping him to the floor in an instant. The others poured in before she could re-cock the hammer. One of them kicked the pistol from her hand before hitting her straight in the face with the butt of his shotgun. She could already feel blood pouring down her face as the others came in, surrounding both of them. Tom threw Jake to some of his men to hold, while he came over to Sadie. She couldn't even be sure how many of them there were. Between blood running into her eyes and blurred vision she couldn't tell exactly, but it was certainly way more people than had ever been in her home before. A couple of the men held her as Tom knelt down to glare into her face.

"That wasn't very smart Ma'am!" He snapped at her. Sadie struggled against the men holding her to no avail. "How's Davis?"

"Shit, Tom he's dead!" One of them informed him. "The bitch killed him straight out! He was probably dead before he hit the floor!"

Tom looked back to her.

"Now, we were gonna be in and out of here real fast. Just grab a few things we needed and be on our way." He said in a low, menacing tone. "But now you've gone and killed one of my boys."

Sadie didn't say anything in response. She just glared at him hatefully, in a way that let him know if she had the bullets and the time, she'd have done the same to all of them.

Tom got up and pulled a long hunting knife from his belt. He cast his gaze in Jake's direction. Sadie renewed her struggle, trying desperately to break free. She could already tell what was going to happen, but that still didn't prepare her for the sight of Tom burying his knife in Jake's stomach right up to the hilt. He twisted it and pulled at it, opening him up. Sadie let out an anguished scream as she watched Jake hit the floor, his blood seeping out into the floorboards. Tom came over to her and wiped the blade of his knife off on her dress.

"Now, all of this could have been avoided. But just because I killed your man here, don't think that means this is over." He warned her. "What do we have boys?"

"Not much." One of them informed him. "Just a few cans, some biscuits...hardly anythin'."

"Naw, there's more than that. A place like this, all the way out here? You've got something stashed haven't you?" He asked her. "You must get cut off for months up here. There has to be food in here for..."

He looked down and smiled.

"There's a basement ain't there?" He asked. Sadie didn't answer him, she couldn't take her eyes off Jake's body. Tom slapped her hard with the back of his hand, before forcing her to look right at him. "Don't make me mess up that face any more than we already have. Where's the hatch?"

Sadie didn't answer verbally. She couldn't bring herself to speak to him. She flicked her eyes in the direction of the hatch, but then straight back to Tom. She was studying him closely, burning every feature of his weather-beaten face into her memory. To this day, she could describe every detail of his face. Tom found the basement and let out a whoop of excitement.

"We hit the jackpot boys!" He congratulated them. "This stash'll feed us for a God-damned month!"

"But we still can't get back to camp!" One of them said, looking out the window. "The blizzard's only getting worse! It could be days before we can get back!"

"That's alright, when Colm sees all the food we got, he'll not mind us being gone a couple of days longer than we expected." Tom said as he got some rope. "As for you, I wouldn't worry about him if I were you. His problems are over. Yours...not so much."


	3. The Home Fires Burn

Sadie was kept bound in her own basement, tied to one of the pillars. How long, she really wasn't sure. Down here, there was nothing for her to measure the time by, and with her head still fuzzy from when one of the men smashed her in the face with his gun she quickly lost track. It wasn't as if it mattered much though. Out here, all alone, her beloved Jake already dead, probably just abandoned somewhere in the snow nearby, this was just a purgatory. Once the weather broke and the gang moved on, they would have no reason to take her with them. She was just entertainment while they waited for a break in the weather that would let them get back to the rest of their gang. She only hoped that before they left, one of them would finish her off rather than just leave her here to waste away.

There really wasn't much to do in the cabin while they were cut off. Jake had books, but it was pretty clear very quickly that these men weren't exactly the literary type. There were only so many games of poker anyone could play so they would take turns coming down into the basement to amuse themselves with her. They loved to taunt her about the helplessness of her situation, go into detail about Jake's corpse, which they delighted in telling her they had just dumped outside. They would beat her, humiliate her, and satisfy any and all of the sick appetites they had, and they had an imagination for cruelty that would make even the staunchest of people believe in the existence of Hell.

The hatch opened, and one of them came down the ladder into the basement. She quickly recognised him as Tom, the one who had taken her Jake from her. The knife that had split Tom open like a prize hog hung at his waist. She drew herself up into a seating position, as high as her remaining strength and her bonds would allow. She didn't want to show any weakness, any frailty in his presence. He smiled as he came over to her.

"Well, it's been fun darlin'." He said in a dismissive drawl. "But, the weather's finally lettin' up. I reckon by mornin' we should be able to head back to camp. I'm sure Colm is real worried about us by now."

Sadie didn't say a word; she had nothing to say to these men, not yet. Her only words would be when she repaid the debt Tom owed her in kind. Her eyes burned through him as she glared at him. She hadn't said anything, but she listened and heard everything. She had learned that these men called themselves "O'Driscolls". She had heard the name, everyone had. Colm O'Driscoll's gang had robbed, burned, raped and murdered their way across multiple states. Colm was wanted for hanging from one end of the country to the other.

If what she had heard Tom saying to the others was anything to go by, Tom was second in the gang only to Colm himself. Tom and his boys had been sent out to find supplies, only to be cut off by the weather. She had no doubt that once Tom left here, even if she somehow escaped, even if she survived the winter or got to town, once he was gone, he would disappear for good. Once he was back with the gang, he'd be almost as safe as Colm, and he had already escaped the Gallows at least once that she'd heard of. Tom let out a little sigh.

"I know, it's always tough to say goodbye." He taunted her. "The only question is, how do we do this?"

Tom pulled out his hunting knife, the one he had used to gut Jake and leave him to bleed out onto the floor, and also her harmonica. It really did have next to no value. While it was shiny, it was only made of cheap tin. There wasn't much point in Jake spending a lot of their limited funds on an instrument he wasn't sure Sadie would even be able to play.

"I'm gonna let you make the choice which one of these you want." He told her. He held up the harmonica. "You can have this; have something to do while you're down here or..."

He held up the knife. She knew he didn't mean that he would cut her free. She didn't answer, there was no way she would give him the satisfaction of begging him for a swift end, to deliver her back to her beloved Jake rather than let her inevitably waste away by herself here. No matter how much she wanted to ask him to just end it now; to slit her throat and be done with the agony, she couldn't give him that power over her. Not when he had taken everything else. Tom put his knife away and tossed the Harmonica into her lap.

"Don't say I'm not good to you." He chuckled, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at him. "You know...even messed up as it is...I really do like this face. It's almost a shame to leave. But..."

He just shrugged, and then headed back up into the house, closing the hatch behind him. Sadie could hear the men upstairs drinking and hollering, having themselves a good old time. Within hours they'd be gone, and she would be alone here to die.

That was when she looked to the Harmonica. It was never meant as much, more a final spit in the eye than a comfort to Sadie in what was sure to be her last days, but having it near, she almost felt like Jake was with her. He would guide her home, back to him.

It was then that she noticed it was slightly twisted and had started to split, no doubt warped as Tom carried it around in his pocket. It really was a cheap piece of shit, as much as she loved it, but seeing an edge, as one of the plates separated from the rest of it, she suddenly got a thought. She immediately started to struggle to get the harmonica into her hands, before starting to smash it against the pillar. After some time, it finally came apart. She tossed the rest of it away, keeping hold of the plate. Tin, when broken, could be incredibly sharp. She didn't have long. She could still hear the men partying upstairs. She worked frantically, gritting her teeth as the metal worked against her bonds, ignoring when she cut into her own flesh in her desperation. Finally, the ropes fell free, freeing her.

She started looking around the basement. There was nothing of any real use out here. She was wearing only a nightdress, unless she ran into a traveller within a couple of hours the mountain would claim her very quickly. There were no clothes down here, no weapons either. Jake had always insisted they keep all of them upstairs, in case a sudden thaw caused the basement to flood. It was hopeless; there was nowhere to go, even if she did somehow make it past the men upstairs. She was resigned to her fate, when she heard a pounding from outside. The party quickly fell silent. Sadie kept quiet too.

"Hello?" A voice called from outside. The O'Driscolls started to murmur.

"Who the hell is that?" One of them asked.

"Shut up Billy!" Tom stated. The door sounded again.

"HELLO?" The voice called out again. She could hear some movement.

"It's just some guy." One of them said, checking the window. "He must have got lost."

"This don't smell right." Tom said, considering his option. "Billy, you and Seamus head out front, see what this fool wants. The rest of you get into good spots. I'm heading around the side."

Sadie heard some movement, and the door opening. She could hear some voices, a conversation, it sounded a lot like someone had just got lost in the snow, but before long she heard gunfire. Within moments, the guns fell silent again. She heard some movement upstairs. She had no idea who won, but given the fact there were at least a dozen O'Dricolls in the house, she didn't much fancy the chances of any lone traveller.

She looked up through the space between the slats in the floor. At least two men came in. It quickly became clear that it was not an O'Driscoll. From the voice, it was the one who came to the door. Of course, given the fact the last visitors were the O'Driscolls; she didn't want to take any chances assuming that she was being rescued. She waited, keeping silent as the two men started to wander around.

"Alright, turn the place over." He stated. "We need the essentials. Food, medicine...whiskey."

Sadie definitely didn't want to make herself known now. Jake would likely have called it poetic justice that the men that came to their home to ransack it for supplies would be slaughtered by another group of men coming for the exact same purpose. As they started rummaging around upstairs, going through what little the O'Driscolls had left from their raid, she figured her best chance was to wait and hope they didn't find the basement. The one advantage she had with them as opposed to the O'Driscolls was that the O'Driscolls had known exactly where she was. These men, it was possible once they had taken what they could stuff in their pockets they would just leave. They had no reason to suspect they hadn't already killed everyone inside.

One of them left after a moment or two, but footsteps let her know that one of them was still in the house. She managed to catch a glimpse of him between a couple of the floorboards. He was hovering by the fireplace; something on the mantle caught his attention. She watched as he picked it up. The photograph! She and Jake had a picture taken when they first moved out here. He stood, staring at the picture for a moment, before looking around. Shit, did he realise that there was a woman living here? She knew the O'Driscolls had just dumped Jake outside, but had they left him so close that he recognised one of the bodies? Did he realise there was meant to be a woman here?

"Arthur! Is everything alright in there?" The other man called out.

"Fine Dutch." Arthur replied as he put the picture down. Dutch...the name sounded familiar to her. She had heard some of the O'Driscolls use the name. Arthur left the homestead, at which Sadie finally made her move. She climbed up the ladder, opening up the hatch and climbing back out into the house.

She went towards the window, and watched as three men, Dutch, Arthur, and a third man who hadn't come into the house spoke for a moment. Dutch pointed towards the stable, at which Arthur headed over. SHIT! If they took her horse, she was done for. She had clothes, she had an outside chance of making it to town...a VERY slim chance, but if they took the horse, there was no way she'd have the strength to make it on her own. She had to stop them! She headed for the bed, reaching underneath it for her guns, hoping that they hadn't already been taken. Unfortunately the case was empty. Either Dutch's guys or one of the O'Driscoll's had already taken it. That was when she heard the door open. She turned around and saw a man standing in the doorway, the third man. He must have come to make sure they hadn't missed anything.

She couldn't see any difference between him and the O'Driscolls. When he saw her, she could see the same look in his eyes they had. Even through his thick, bushy moustache she could see the smile starting to form on his lips and knew exactly what he was thinking about. She was damned if she was going to just go from being the plaything of one gang to another's. He started to come towards him and she grabbed the first thing that came to hand, throwing it right at his face.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed at him. She tried to keep the table between herself and the attacker, who started laughing, thinking of this as a game. She was going to show him that if he wanted her, he was going to have to fight! The noise apparently attracted the others, who barged in through the door.

"Micah, what the hell do you think you are doing?" Dutch demanded. Sadie didn't really care much about the other guy's name, she was too busy keeping him far enough away that she could grab anything that wasn't nailed down to throw at him. This guy though, Micah, seemed to like it. It was a game to him.

"Look what I found! She must have been hidin' in the basement!" He cackled as he ducked left and right, looking for how to get around the table for her. Sadie saw a knife on the table and snatched it up. These men were armed; they had already killed the O'Driscolls. She had no doubt in her mind that she would never take them with a knife. If she was lucky she might get one of them before she was taken down, but she would sooner split Micah in half than let him touch her. "Wild thing ain't you?"

'Just try it!' She thought as she snarled, swiping the knife back and forth before her. 'I'll show you how wild I am!'

Sadie was expecting them to gun her down. She was forcing their hand; she'd sooner be dead than be at the mercy of more degenerates! However, she was surprised that not only was Micah not going for his gun, if anything getting more excited at the thought of the fight she was putting up, but his companions seemed to be trying to stop him.

"Leave her alone!" Arthur snapped at him. Sadie could swear she saw his hand straying towards his holster. Was he really prepared to shoot his own comrade to stop him? Micah either didn't take him seriously or he didn't notice.

"She's one of them O'Driscolls." He responded, as though that was all the justification he needed for what he intended to do.

"No, she ain't Micah! Look at her!" Dutch beckoned him, trying to calm his friend. Dutch seemed to be more of a peacemaker right now. He was trying to talk the situation down. Arthur though, still had his hand on his revolver. "Miss, miss, are you..."

They were interrupted as Micah overturned the table. In the process he tipped a lantern onto the floor, where it shattered, spilling fuel all over the place. Within seconds the whole room was going up.

"Oh, you fool Micah!" Dutch scolded him, like a schoolteacher to a child. He shoved Micah away, at which Arthur grabbed him, pulling him further from her. His hand was still on his revolver. "Miss, now it's gonna be OK."

He repeated that a couple more times as he came towards her, holding up his hands. Sadie couldn't keep her eyes off Micah as she brandished the knife. He whispered to her, his voice becoming softer as he tried to assure her that she was not going to be harmed. Still she kept her eyes locked on Micah, the knife at the ready to ensure the first time he touched her would be the last. She barely heard Dutch's words as she tried to soothe her. She felt his hand on her arm, not grabbing her, not trying to restrain her, but just to try and gently lower her arm, like he was showing there was no need for the knife.

"We mean you no harm." He whispered. "Come on. It'll be OK."

Finally, Sadie relented and dropped the knife. He looked to the flames spreading across the floor.

"We need to get out of here and quick." He instructed his comrades. "Come on now."

When they got outside, Dutch wrapped a blanket around her and Arthur helped her onto the back of Dutch's horse. She didn't remember much about the ride from the house; Dutch was saying something to her, trying to reassure her that she was safe, that she would be safe until she figured out what to do. Arthur and Micah spent most of the journey bickering back and forth, pretty aggressively by the sound of things. She would learn over time that was more or less the norm for them. As they rode off though, she couldn't really focus much on what anyone was saying. All she could do was watch as the homestead burned to the ground, taking with it literally everything she owned in her life. She didn't know then where they were taking her or what her life would become, all she knew was that now, there was nothing for her here.

Back in the bar, Sadie put down her glass.

"Dutch Van Der Linde?" Levin asked her. "You...you were rescued by Dutch Van Der Linde?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." She responded.

"I can't...you were held by the O'Driscolls for three days?" He asked her.

"That's what I said ain't it?" She asked him. Levin could hardly believe what he was hearing. He knew that very few people in a line of work like Sadie's had a happy tale to tell. He'd learned in his time researching his book on Calloway that there were rarely any good reasons someone would actively choose a life that inevitably revolved around violence and bloodshed. It wasn't a coincidence there weren't many old bounty hunters or gunslingers or bandits. It was the kind of life that had large short-term games but had a habit of resulting in an early grave. He imagined some kind of personal tragedy or some kind of revenge story but the O'Driscolls? The Van Der Linde Gang? The O'Driscolls had been wiped out shortly after Colm was finally hanged. The Van Der Linde Gang had disbanded and scattered, disappearing into the wind years ago. If what she said was true, he had unwittingly stumbled onto a goldmine!

"Wait, the Grizzlies...that would mean you met up with Van Der Linde shortly after the Blackwater..."

"Wait...shut up a second will you?" She asked him.

"But..."

"She silenced him with a glare as she watched a couple of men coming in. They were wearing suits, and looked far more dapper than the normal clientele of this slop house. Sadie watched as the barman went and spoke to them for a moment, before they turned and left. She just sighed.

"Shit." She muttered, before pulling out her watch and checking it. "Alright, now...where were we?"

"Van Der Linde." He reminded her. "You were saying they took care of you."

"Yeah, they did. If it wasn't for them I'd probably still be lyin' dead up in the mountains." She told him.

"So, what were they like?" He asked her.

"You, Mr Levin, are just full of really big questions." She replied. "Lucky for you, I have some time to kill."


	4. At Home with the Van Der Lindes

Although she couldn't see them right now, Sadie could feel a whole lot of eyes on her, staring at her. After her ranch went up in flames, Dutch, Micah and Arthur had taken her up to an abandoned prospector's settlement a little way from her homestead.

Right now, she couldn't see anything, she had to have her eyes closed, but she could hear some hisses and wincing.

"I don't know how she ain't screamin' the place down." A female voice commented. "You sure you're stitchin' that up right Mr Pearson?"

Dutch had turned her over to the care of some of the other people in his caravan. She was more than a little surprised that there was anyone up in the mountains at this time of year, never mind such a large group, including women and at least one child she'd seen. Leaving her at the homestead simply wasn't an option, there was nothing there now. Anything that was left would be either burned to ash or buried beneath the ruins of the house. The settlement wasn't much of anything either. The buildings were in disrepair, and draughty, but it was better than no shelter at all. They were still a long way from any town, so that limited them to the medical capabilities of those still in the camp. Unfortunately, no one there was anything close to a doctor.

It definitely did hurt. She could feel the needle going through her flesh with every stitch, every tug as he pinched and pulled the flesh back together. One of the O'Driscolls had smashed her in the face with the butt of his gun in retaliation for her shooting one of his friends. They had no such concerns for her welfare. However, with everything else going on in her mind, she didn't think to cry out. Mr Pearson cut off the free end after he finished his work. He sucked his teeth and let out a sigh.

"Well, I've done my best Mrs Adler." He said regretfully. "Truth be told, I'm more of a leather worker than a surgeon, and my tools here have seen better days. It'll hold while it heals, but I'd say there's going to be a pretty wicked scar there."

Sadie just looked at him wearily. She didn't care about a scar, that was the least of her issues. In only a couple of days, she'd lost her husband and everything she owned. She didn't give a rat's ass if half her face was missing. Right now she wasn't sure how much of a blessing it was that she had survived. Right now, all she could think about was Jake, what they had done to him, and the burning inferno of hatred building up in her. The only thing she desired more than to have Jake back in her arms was to see every last O'Driscoll sent straight to hell.

"Thank you." She finally managed to say. She knew he was doing his best under the circumstances. It was all anyone could, and he sure as hell had shown her more care than any of the O'Driscolls.

"Take this." He told her. "Normally Strauss would deal with the medicines, but we left our last camp in a bit of a hurry and so the best thing we've got is whiskey."

She took it, but he kept a hold of it.

"Don't drink it all. Some of it is for your wound." He told her. "We don't want it to get infected."

"Infection? They damn hear ripped her face in half! God Damn animals!" One of the women responded in disgust.

"Molly..."

"It's a God Damned miracle she didn't lose her eye!" She continued.

"Molly..."

"Hell, given what those sick bastards are like it's amazing she's even..."

"MOLLY!" Mr Pearson snapped. "Go and see where Tilly is with the clothes."

Sadie was grateful that Mr Pearson got her to stop talking. It wasn't really what she needed to hear right now. Sadie couldn't help reaching up, touching the rough stitching. It had hurt like hell going in, and it was sure as hell going to hurt when they had to take them out again, but for the most part it felt like he'd done a pretty decent job all things considered. Helen was just leaving when another girl came in.

"I've got those clothes like you asked Mr Pearson." She said, coming toward Sadie. "I reckon I'm the closest to your size. You can have these until we get to town. No way we're going to let you survive the O'Driscolls only to freeze to death."

"Thank you." Sadie whispered, beginning to change into the dress she had been given. It wasn't really her style. She and Jake had shared all the work in the homestead, and tracking animals through snow and riverbeds really didn't suit the latest dresses from the mail order. She had abandoned such clothing long ago, and was far more comfortable in denims and flannel. Still, beggars couldn't be choosers and right now, she owned nothing. She was smaller than all the guys in the camp, the smallest one she'd seen, the young man who was acting as lookout when they got there was still bigger than him. Pearson, his clothes she could probably use as a tent. She was grateful right now for whatever they could offer her.

"Well, I have some preparations to do if we're going to eat tomorrow." Pearson told them, getting up. He looked to Sadie warmly. "Try to get some rest Mrs Adler."

"We'll take care of her Mr Pearson." The one known as Ms. Grimshaw told him. From what little Sadie had ascertained from the group in the short time she'd been in the camp, she held some kind of position of authority in the camp, particularly with the women. Everyone referred to her as 'Ms. Grimshaw' and there was a certain level of what Sadie was trying to decide if it was fear or respect from the others. She gave off a vibe that was one part strict mother and one part school teacher. Sadie had been an adventurous child and had felt the bite of the belt more than once. She kind of got that same impression from Ms. Grimshaw, that she wasn't someone to cross. "Alright ladies, it's getting late and we all have work to do tomorrow."

"Yeah, I mean we do keep picking up all these extra mouths to feed." Molly said in a rather off-hand way. Ms. Grimshaw just glared at her.

"What's that meant to mean?" She asked her.

"I just mean, there are more of us now and it's not like there's a store nearby." She answered. "Can we really afford to look after more folks that can't provide anything?"

Sadie tensed up, her hands clenching into fists. Even half-starved, beaten, exhausted and frozen, she felt like getting up and putting Molly in her place. She might not be in much of a position to help right now, but no one ever got away with saying Sadie Adler couldn't pull her weight. In these mountains, even in this climate, she could probably bring in far more food than most of the men in the camp. She was starting to get up, but faltered a little. Two of the others came to her.

"Molly, you are the most evil-minded hag sometimes! This woman has been through God knows what and you want to do what? Throw her out into the snow?" She demanded.

"Mary-Beth..."

"You're no better than Micah, but at least he's useful for somethin'." She interrupted Molly.

"I think what Mary-Beth means; Molly is that it's a little rich coming from you asking what someone can contribute to the camp." Ms. Grimshaw stated.

"I was just sayin'..."

"Well I don't care much what you were just saying. If you're not going to keep a civil tongue in your head, go...go to Dutch!"

Molly turned and strode out of the room. Ms. Grimshaw followed her out, shutting the door after her. She turned back to her.

"Molly is as pretty as she is thoughtless." She stated. "Don't you pay any mind to what she has to say, Dutch says we take care of you that's exactly what we're going to do. You just rest up and heal as long as you need to Mrs Adler. We can worry about anything else later."

"Sadie." She told her. "I prefer to be called Sadie."

"Very well, Sadie it is." She answered. "Don't stay up too late ladies. There's plenty of work to go around."

Although the others wanted to find out more about the new arrival, particularly since they knew she had encountered O'Driscolls close to the camp, Sadie didn't feel much like talking. She didn't feel much like anything. Instead, she turned onto the bed, pulling the blankets around her. Shortly before exhaustion overtook her, she could see one more lady, one that hadn't yet approached her or spoken with her, sitting with the young boy she had seen earlier. She was gently stroking the young boy's hair as he slept, while staring out the window into the mountains. Strangely, of all the women there, this was the woman she felt like she had most in common with right now. Whatever she was looking for, she had the look of someone who had lost what they cared most about in the world.

The following day, Sadie woke up, finding herself alone in the cabin. She could definitely hear people outside. There was certainly plenty to do to keep things working. She wasn't even sure yet exactly how many people were in this party. Her mind wasn't really on details when she arrived, but now that she was here, and for the time being at least she was a part of this group, she figured she needed to figure out what the story was.

It didn't take a deep thinker to realise that these people weren't exactly a circus troupe or travelling missionaries. Given the fact only three of them had slaughtered almost a dozen O'Driscolls at her place, they were clearly no strangers to a fight. The name of the leader, the one who brought her here, Dutch? She had a feeling it sounded dimly familiar. She didn't keep up with the local newspapers much, especially in winter when she generally didn't get into town to buy one anyway but she was certain she had heard his name being spoken of before.

The men in and around the camp, so far she knew there were at least five, but probably more. Dutch, Micah and Arthur were the ones that had brought her here. Mr Pearson was the one that stitched up her face, and there was a young boy, looked like he was little more than a kid, acting as lookout when they got here. She'd heard Dutch say something about people being sent out, so there were more, but how many? Women, she knew of at least six. She hadn't had much chance to speak to most of them. More accurately she wasn't in much of a state to speak with anyone really. Still, she'd already figured out that Ms. Grimshaw was something of the camp 'mother'. Tilly, the young one had lent her some clothes. Molly, she was the one that could do with a good punch in the face if she had the energy. She'd heard the name Mary-Beth, the others? That she wasn't so sure of.

In all likelihood people would probably drop by to check on her, but she wasn't about to play the victim. That was never her way. She got up from the bed, shakily steadying herself on the wall, and started to make her way towards the door. She opened it up, making her way outside. It was a lot brighter now, and the blizzard had stopped, so the others had taken the break in the weather to get work done around in the camp. Dutch was standing in the centre, directing things, speaking with Ms. Grimshaw as he kept an eye on the comings and goings of the camp. Sadie pulled the blanket around herself as she started to make her way towards him. Dutch seemed to see her, and the expression on his face was an equal mix of shock and concern to see her wandering around. Ms. Grimshaw started to make her way towards her.

"Oh no, you are in no fit state to be up and about Sadie!" She told her. "You get right back in that cabin and..."

"I'm fine." Sadie said.

"You most certainly are not. You think I'm going to let you keel over out here?" She asked. "You get..."

"Dutch!" Sadie said, looking past Ms Grimshaw. The older woman looked a little put out. Sadie wasn't normally the type to go around people, normally if someone was in her way she'd deal with that person directly, but right now she didn't have the energy or the will to butt heads with Ms Grimshaw. Dutch just gestured her aside.

"It's alright; see how Mr Pearson is doing with the stew." He told her.

Ms Grimshaw just nodded and went about her business. Dutch beckoned Sadie closer.

"How are you Mrs Adler?" He asked.

"I'd...I'd prefer it if you called me Sadie." She responded wearily.

"Of course." He said warmly as he lit up a cigar. Flicking the match away, he took a draw. "So, what's on your mind?"

"I...I just...I wanted to thank..."

"Please, you don't have to say anything." Dutch assured her. "Everyone here has been in need of a helping hand at one time or another. There isn't one person in this camp who hasn't either saved my life or been saved by me on at least one occasion. That's what we're all about here Mrs...Sadie."

"I just know, if you fellers hadn't come along..."

"But we did, and we were in a position to help, that's what counts." Dutch interrupted her, reaching out and putting a hand around her shoulder. Sadie had already established he was the leader, and she was starting to see why. He had a certain way of speaking that just made people feel at ease. It wasn't just that he said things in a fancy way that indicated he'd had some kind of schooling, or that he said particularly smart things that made it sound like he was smart enough to know what he was talking about. It was a kind of warmth and sincerity in his voice that spoke straight past the ears to the very centre of a person. She recalled the same kind of quality in the minister at church when she was a little girl, not that she'd been to a church much since then. "That's what I feel is wrong with this world. With this 'civilisation' that people keep lauding as some wonderful new future. Folks are encouraged to think of themselves and not of their community."

"Well...I was wonderin' how I could help my community." She told him. He just parted from her.

"Sadie, after what you've been through, I'd never dream of..."

"Dutch, please, I've never asked for nothin' in my life. Sittin' around waitin' on folks bringin' me things has never sat right with me. You folks, you saved my life. I want to do somethin' to earn my keep."

"And you will, when you're better." He assured her.

"With all due respect Dutch. My...my Jake and I...we shared the work on the homestead. Right down the middle. We didn't have the luxury of lyin' down any time we was a little ill." She explained. "I'm strong enough to be on my feet, that means I can do somethin' to help."

"Mrs Adler, I admire your spirit." He declared as he guided her towards another shed. "Now, you go speak to Mr Pearson, he's the old feller that stitched you up, and you see if he needs a hand. Tell him I said it was OK, but if you need to stop, you just let him know."

"Thank you Dutch." Sadie replied. "For everything I mean."

Despite the pain and the exhaustion, Sadie worked hard. It was the only way she knew. Running a homestead was difficult work at the best of times but when the work was split between only two people, very quickly a person learned the difference between what they thought were their limits and what their limits actually were. There were, of course, times where one or other of them was simply too sick or hurt to work, but the work didn't stop just because they did, so it wasn't the first time that they had to push on through no matter how they felt.

"Alright, I think that's about as ready as it's ever going to be." Mr Pearson said, wafting some of the vapours from the pot towards himself and sniffing it. The stew was mostly made up of whatever canned goods they had to hand. Sadie looked into it.

"It looks...nice." She said as diplomatically as she could.

"It looks like Lenny and Bill couldn't hunt if their lives depended on it." Mr Pearson chuckled. "Which is a shame because in a couple of days it just might. Now, if Charles wasn't on the mend we'd be eating like kings but for now, this is what we have. Would you mind?"

Sadie took one of the bowls and headed over to the other man. He was sitting by the fire. As she got close, she circled around to see what he was doing. He was a huge, muscular man, his skin tone dark and weathered. He wore mostly similar clothing to the others, but she could also see an assortment of beads and other trinkets, including a feather decoration woven into his long hair. The natives didn't spend a lot of time in the mountains, but she'd seen enough of them travelling through to recognise their style. He was preparing something in a pot as she arrived.

"I know the stew don't smell too pretty, but I'd have thought it polite to at least try it before you made your own." She quipped as she got to him. The man just smirked.

"This isn't food." He said as he checked on his concoction. He raised his hand, which was bound in bandages. "It's a little something for this. Can't get medicine but I still have a few herbs."

"Oh OK." She said. "So, you want this?"

"Set it down there please." He said as he continued to work. "I'll get to it in a second. From the smell of it I won't be missing much if it gets a little cold."

"It wouldn't be the worst thing I've had to eat." She said with a shrug. He let out a deep, rumbling laugh hearing that.

"Nor me." He replied. "You're the one Dutch brought back aren't you?"

"Sadie Adler." She introduced herself. He extended a hand.

"Charles Smith." He returned the greeting as she shook his hand.

"Charles Smith?" She asked. "That's uh...an unusual name."

"I was led to believe Smith was quite a common name." He said. Sadie just stood, trying to will her mouth to work. She realised how that had to sound. Charles again just laughed.

"Don't worry, I know what you mean." He replied. "My mother was a native, my father wasn't. I got my name from him."

"Right, of course." Sadie said as she sat down. "So, what happened to your hand?"

"Burned." He told her. "It should be fine in a few days; hopefully these should help with that. Oh, that reminds me."

He reached down into a satchel, fetching out a bottle. He handed it to her.

"Take a little of this and rub it on your wound each night." He explained, rubbing his eyebrow as though to demonstrate. "It should stave off infection; it might also shave a couple of days off before Pearson can remove those stitches."

"Thank you." She answered as she put it away. She looked to Charles as he checked his mixture once more before getting a bottle to pour it into. "So, I heard you do most of the hunting around here."

"Bill and Lenny are good men. Loyal, dependable, but neither of them can hunt worth a shit." He said, causing Sadie to laugh a little. "I just hope my hand heals before we starve."

"Well, maybe when I'm a little stronger I can do some huntin'." She told him.

"I'm sure you'd do infinitely better than those two." He responded as he gestured to two men coming back to camp. One of them was a large, bearded man who looked like he could punch out a grizzly bear if the mood took him. The other was the same kid who'd been acting as lookout when she returned. She could hear from the other side of the camp they were blaming each other for their lack of success in the hunt.

"Normally men are a little weird about the idea of a woman huntin'." Sadie remarked. Charles just smiled.

"When you're like me, you see and hear enough folks judging to learn how foolish it is to judge." Charles said as he picked up the bowl and started eating. "I've got no more reason to doubt you can hunt than you have to doubt me."

Sadie smiled. She liked Charles; he seemed like a good, genuine man. Just then, there was a commotion from the edge of camp.

"Come on! Someone help John down off this horse!" A voice called out. Everyone started to come out into the middle of the camp to see what was happening. Arthur and another man were riding back into camp; a third man was on the back of the stranger's horse, who looked to be in a bad way. At first, the only indication he was even alive was the fact he was still sitting up on the horse, though the way he was slumped it didn't look like it was by much. "Can we get some help here?"

The woman who'd been staring out the window rushed to the horses, frantic. Now Sadie understood what she had been looking for. As John was helped down from the horse, being helped into the cabin by a couple of the others, Pearson grabbed his tools and followed them into the cabin. The women all gathered around.

"Oh my God, was that...John?" Tilly asked. "Is...is he...?"

"He didn't look too good." Mary-Beth stated, looking to the blood in the snow. "What could have...?"

"Wolves." Sadie told them. "Been a while since I seen them attack a person, but I lost a horse to 'em once. It weren't pretty."

"Do you think he'll...?"

"That's quite enough of that talk Tilly Jackson. It won't help anyone!" Ms Grimshaw said, gesturing the women away. "If you all want to help, go keep an eye on Jack. Make sure everyone has something to eat and leave them to put what's left of John back together. You know he's been through worse."

"Oh my God, poor Abigail." Mary-Beth gasped. "She must be going out of her mind."

"Come on. Let's go see to Jack." Karen whispered. "No boy should have to see his pa brought home like that."

Back in the bar, Levin's mouth was hanging open as she spoke.

"That was the Van Der Linde Gang?" He asked her.

"It was." She replied. "I can say a lot about them, but the fact of the matter is if it wasn't for them, I'd not be here now. I sure as shit wouldn't be doin' what I'm doin' now."

"How do you mean?" He asked.

"Let's just say...I did a lot more than just cook while I was with them." She responded with a little smirk.


	5. Shoot Those As Need Shooting

The days dragged on at the camp. Although the worst of the blizzards had now passed, Dutch and Hosea declared that they needed to wait on things thawing out a little more before they moved on. Given the fact John was laid up, it was understandable. It was still pretty miraculous he was alive at all given the state he'd been in when he was brought in. Sadie gave a wide berth to let the others have space to work on him but she did catch glimpses of him, and it really didn't look good. The Reverend had been to see him a couple of times, just as a precaution.

She hadn't even noticed the Reverend before now. He was pretty quiet around the camp, and he didn't move around much either. The stench of whiskey from him any time he did walk past quickly dispelled any mystery as to why. Sadie enjoyed a few drinks herself. Yes, there were even times when she and Jake had more than a few drinks too many, especially in the winter when there wasn't much to do in the homestead, but she had seen and known those that had more than just a taste for the bottle.

She pitied him more than she judged him; she already knew that when someone lurched from their bed to the bottle and back again, usually there was a much deeper reasoning behind it. Besides, despite his vice, she could tell that he was a good man at heart. Hosea and Arthur had returned to her homestead to retrieve Jake's body. They didn't have much, and although they had a lot of demands on their time, they had spared enough time to bury him. The Reverend had said a few words. Although neither she nor her husband had been big on church, she appreciated the sentiment, particularly for a man they had never even had the opportunity to meet.

The food, at least, had gotten a little better. Charles had finally gotten tired of seeing Lenny and Bill go out for hours at a time, only to return empty-handed and taken Arthur with him to go hunting. He figured that even relying on Arthur to be his hands on the bow, his eyes would be better than Lenny and Bills' combined. He wasn't wrong, that very afternoon he and Arthur rode back into camp with a pair of deer and the undying gratitude of everyone in the camp. However, there were still a lot of conversations about finding the next score and about something being left in Blackwater. Conversations that for now at least, people seemed to halt when they noticed Sadie was around. A lot of them were carrying some pretty fancy gear. Dutch had some very nice jewellery for a travelling man. The pieces started to fall into place for her.

She saw Dutch discussing something with Hosea, who headed off to attend to something else. She decided now was the best time to bring up the subject.

"Dutch?" She asked.

"Mrs Adler...sorry, Sadie. How may I help you?" He asked her.

"I just wanted to say again, I'm real grateful for everything you've done." She began, trying to lead off on the right foot. It wasn't exactly a straightforward thing to decide how you were going to ask the people you owed your life to if they were criminals. There were tales told all over the country about legendary outlaws. The Hole in the Wall Gang, the Wild Bunch, the Jack Hall Gang and, of course, the O'Driscolls. While there were some who almost saw them as some kind of romantic figures that lived free and survived on their wits like many believed the original pilgrims to the New World intended, there was also how they lived their lives, and how exactly they funded and fed themselves.

"I sense a little hesitation in you Mrs Adler." He commented. "Perhaps you came to ask for something?"

"You...you're outlaws, ain't you?" She asked him. Outlaw...that in and of itself seemed at times to be a word someone made up to make what they did seem less ugly. What was it Jake always called it? A platitude, she thought that was it, a platitude, a way of saying something bad that sounded a lot more favourable. Outlaws killed people, they stole what rightfully belonged to others, they did a lot of horrific things to people, something she could personally attest to. She saw Dutch staring at her and wondered if she had been wise to ask this. They undoubtedly were outlaws; no one had any reason to be up in the mountains in these conditions, unless, of course, they wanted to go somewhere no one else would follow. He just reached out, putting his arm around her, guiding her as he walked with her.

"Mrs Adler, there are people who definitely call us that, and a lot worse besides." Dutch said a lot more honestly than she had expected. However, his tone was very warm and soothing. He didn't sound like he was going to throw her out of the camp to fend for herself. "I ask you, have we been good to you?"

"Well...yeah." She answered. "I wasn't..."

"I know a lot of folks they don't necessarily like how we live, but we just...we want to make our own way, to live on our own labours and our own skills. To think and believe as we want instead of living where and how some guy in the capital says we should." He told her. "Now, I know what you're probably thinking. What makes us different from those animals that came through your house and did those awful things to you and your dear, departed husband."

Sadie didn't want to say it, but that was almost exactly what she was thinking. The one thing that was consistent about outlaws was they were called outlaws for a reason. They lived outside the law, which meant breaking it regularly. He turned to look into her eyes.

"We have a simple philosophy here. We shoot people as need shootin', we save people as need saving, and we feed people as need feeding. There ain't one person in this camp that hasn't needed saving at some point." He said turning her toward the camp. "You see young Lenny over there? His father was a slave that was freed when the politicians said people weren't allowed to keep slaves no more. Now, some people still take exception to folks like him as I'm sure you know. No reason, they just don't like people that aren't like them having rights. Some of them folks decided that Lenny's pa deserved to die for that. Lenny was little more than a boy then, but he did what anyone else would do, what I'm sure you'd do if you had the chance to them that took your Jake, and he set things right. Then some people decide HE is a murderer! Kid has a price on his head for getting justice for his pa, what kind of law is that?"

Sadie stammered a little, but he pointed to Bill.

"The big man there, Bill, he was a soldier. He fought for this country, bled, lost friends, you want to know where I found him? Drunk on the street, trying to take some money from my wallet to buy himself enough to get him through another day. Oh sure, he did what those fancy folks said was right, he went and fought, he got his parade when he got home, but what then? Then he was just another thing to be forgotten about while those that sent him to fight got rich and fat while saying how grateful they are to the veterans who earned all that for them. Way I see it, the best way to show respect for veterans would be to not make so God-damned many of them, wouldn't you say?"

"I...I...I guess." She stammered, trying to put together what he was saying. A lot of what he said did make a lot of sense in its own way. There had been injustices levelled against these people, just as there was injustices levelled against her. Most of the men responsible for what happened to her were dead, Dutch, Arthur and Micah had seen to that, but Sadie had asked about the O'Driscolls when Hosea and Arthur came back with Jake's body. The one that had killed Jake, Tom, didn't seem to be with the others. Arthur had told her that at least one O'Driscoll had run during the fire-fight. Any time she thought about Jake, all she could see was Tom driving the knife into his gut. She knew exactly what she'd do if she ever ran across him again. It wouldn't matter how old or sick or hurt she was, no man, no law, nothing would stop her from sending him straight to Hell. Dutch just smiled.

"We're good people. Have bad things happened to us? Sure. Do we sometimes do bad things? Sometimes, yeah, it happens. I can't say that it doesn't. But this, this right here, what we did for Lenny, and Bill and John and you...that's who we ARE. You understand?"

Sadie's head was spinning with everything Dutch had just said, so much so all she could do was nod. Dutch just cupped her cheek with his hand tenderly.

"If you ever have to speak to me, there's nothing that we can't speak about. Everyone makes mistakes, even me, and we wouldn't be where we are if sometimes someone didn't question me and make me re-think things." He assured her. "No one is forced to be here. Everyone is free to go and everyone is free to stay as they see fit. Even you once this snow clears up a bit and we get back to town. You have yourself a good day Mrs Adler."

With that, he walked away, heading for one of the buildings. She was about to go back to work, helping the others with the chores around the camp, but she noticed a lot of the men disappearing into that cabin. She took some supplies from the kitchen, her way of making her excuses to get close to the cabin. Her curiosity overtook her. Normally one or two of the men would be doing something, but right now only Charles, who was still nursing his hand, and John, who was still in no fit state to go anywhere never mind do anything weren't in there. She headed over to the cabin herself to see if she could find out what they were doing. Right now, her survival was dependent on these men. She needed to know what kind of men she was trusting her life to.

She got to the side of the cabin, close enough to hear the voices inside from the window. She could hear a commotion inside, something that sounded a lot like a fight, not exactly a surprise since Micah was in there. Micah, she'd only known him a few days and already she wondered why any of them put up with him. Not only did she still pointedly remember the first time they met, when it was him that had knocked over the lantern that burned down her house, but she'd seen him antagonise and aggravate everyone in the camp. Dutch seemed to trust him for some reason, but as far as she'd seen no one else liked him and frankly she had no problem understanding why. Dutch seemed to have arrived in time to break things up.

"You two punching each other when Colm O'Driscoll's needing punching harder?" He asked. This caught her attention. There was, obviously, talk of the O'Driscolls around the camp, but from the sounds of this, he was talking about going after them! A sentiment she was more than on-board with. "You wanna sit around waiting for him to come find us?"

There was something about Dutch's voice as he said this, a rage that Sadie could relate to. She had no idea what his issue was with the O'Driscoll's, but given what they'd done to her, she was willing to bet anything and everything Dutch would bring their way was more than justified. She heard movement and moved quickly away from the side of the building, hoping not to be noticed. She needn't have worried though, it looked like everyone was so focused on what they were doing that no one even noticed her. They all mounted up and rode off at speed, carrying enough fire-power for her to know that they were going to rain down Hell itself on whoever they ran across.

"Come." Charles said as he came up behind her, causing Sadie to jump almost out of her skin.

"My God, you near gave me a heart attack!" She shouted.

"Mr Pearson's looking for some help in the kitchen." He informed her. "We're down to the last few bits of venison so he's trying to stretch it as much as he can."

"Sure thing." Sadie replied as they headed for the kitchen. "Charles?"

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Do you know what this thing is between Dutch and the O'Driscoll's?" She asked him.

"Nothing good." He answered abruptly. "I don't know myself, I've only been riding with the Van Der Linde Gang a few months, but from the way they keep hitting each other when they're near? My guess is either Colm's going to bury Dutch or the other way around."

"I'd just as soon see all of them O'Driscolls buried." She stated.

"I can understand that feeling. If they'd done to me what they did to you, I imagine I'd feel the same." He answered. "Now, I'm going to see if I can find some wood. I'll see you around."

Some time passed, and everyone made themselves busy around the camp. Sadie was helping prepare what was left of the venison for the stew, but she couldn't keep her mind off the trail the others had gone down. The winds had died down so the tracks were still pretty prominent. Somewhere, not far from them, Dutch and the others were hunting down O'Driscolls. From what he said, he seemed to think Colm was there. If the leader of the O'Driscoll Boys was there, then it was likely that Tom would be too. From what she understood from what the men at her cabin had said, Tom was second only to Colm himself. Was it possible all she had to do was wait and the man that had killed Jake would meet his maker? Would they even know if they had killed him? To them, one O'Driscoll was much like another. She needed to be sure! She drove the knife point down into the chopping board and ran out of the kitchen. Mr Pearson's cries fell on deaf ears as she grabbed a horse, swinging herself up onto it and rode off.

The tracks weren't hard to follow. With so many men and horses the tracks were very pronounced, almost forming a road through the snow. They eventually led into an abandoned mining town, though the stillness in the air as she arrived let her know that it was already over by the time she got there. And boy, was it over.

Bodies were lying out all over the place, a couple of dozen at least. The snow was stained in blood and the bodies were strewn out all over, waiting for the scavengers. There were plenty of wolves in these parts, and they were going to be well-fed when the scent carried far enough to attract them.

She got to work quickly, checking the bodies. She'd never seen so many bodies in all her life, and yet she couldn't bring herself to care that so many were dead. She couldn't see these men as human, as deserving of any kind of mercy or compassion. All she cared about was to make sure her husband's murderer was among them.

"No, no...definitely not!" She said as she checked them all. "Damn it all, Tom, where are you, you fat sack of shit?"

She heard a groan from a little way off. One of the bodies started moving. One of them was still alive, although wounded and alone this far from anywhere, he wouldn't be for long. Still, he'd be alive long enough for her to get the truth from him.

She looked around, finding a revolver in the hand of one of the fallen O'Driscolls. She had to wrench it hard to get it out of his hand, but she managed to get if free. She ran over to the injured O'Driscoll, kicking him hard in the side to get his attention, before levelling the revolver right at his face. He looked up to her, his eyes wide in fear.

"Where's Tom?" She asked him.

"Please...please help..."

"I said where's Tom?" She demanded. "You know, fat feller, beard, murderin' son of a bitch!"

"P...please...it hurts..."

"I don't give a shit how much it hurts!" She screamed, kicking him hard in the ribs again. "Your man, Tom, IS...HE...HERE?"

"He ain't!" He answered. "He rode out with Colm before Van Der Linde showed up!"

Sadie gasped and started to back away.

"No..." She whispered, no longer listening to the O'Driscoll as she thought about what he had said. He had confirmed that Tom was alive, and he had been here, but that he had left before Dutch and the others came through. Somewhere out there, he was still alive and walking free. "No..."

Tears started to run down her face. He was here, he was so close, and yet he had managed to get away. He should be out here rotting with his friends and yet just by a matter of sheer luck, he had left moments before they had come through. She could still hear the man talking, but couldn't for the life of her hear what he was saying. All she could think about was Jake, seeing him stabbed, seeing him fall...her eyes narrowed, and she let out a hellish scream as she levelled the revolver, putting a round straight through his forehead. In a rage, she fired until the gun was empty. She looked around, picking up another and emptied it too, then another, and another...by the time she was done, the body had been completely obliterated.

She fell to her knees and wept. Tom was still out there, laughing at her, laughing at Jake. He would continue to spread misery, pain and death as long as he was out there. There was no telling when someone would finally put a bullet in him or a rope around his neck. Unfortunately though, now he was gone, disappeared into the wilderness. Her opportunity to see him dead had passed. Unless...

She heard something a little way off, and saw a rabbit hopping along. She saw a repeater near her. Snatching it up, she took careful aim and fired. Another one was running off nearby. She took aim and got that too. It echoed in her mind what Dutch had said. They shoot those as need shooting. Tom most definitely needed shooting, and as long as he rode with the O'Driscolls, there was a good chance his path would cross the Van Der Linde's again. Picking up a revolver and the repeater, she gathered the rabbits and mounted up.

It was after dark by the time she got back to camp. The others had all returned, and everyone was gathered in the middle of the camp. Dutch seemed to be giving directions, like he was organising a search. One of them noticed Sadie riding towards them.

"Dutch! Look, it's her!" Javier said. Sadie slid off the horse, taking the reins and leading it towards the camp. She handed the reins to Charles.

"Sorry I borrowed your horse." She greeted him. "And...you know...not askin' first."

"Mrs Adler, where have you been?" Dutch asked her. "Anything could have happened, we were worried sick!"

"Speak for yourself Dutch." Micah grunted, heading for the cabins. Sadie threw down the rabbits. She'd caught a couple more on the way.

"I just figured we were runnin' low on a few things." She declared, levelling the repeater across her shoulders. "I thought I might help out."

Dutch started laughing, at which the others joined in.

"You have a home here Mrs Adler, as long as you want it." He told her. "Mr Pearson, see to it that you do something with these. Come on everyone! Dinner tonight is on Mrs Adler!"

As they all broke off to attend to their own matters, Charles came over to her.

"It seems you can really use those guns." He commented.

"I surely can Charles." She replied.

"Funny thing, I don't remember you having them when you left." He continued. "And I can only think of one place you'd get them anywhere near here."

"It wasn't like they were going to need them anymore." Sadie sighed. "I had to know Charles. Tom, he...he wasn't there."

"He'll get his." Charles assured her. "His kind always do."


	6. Horseshoe Overlook

Spirits lifted at the camp over the next few days. The weather was clearing up, there hadn't been any heavy blizzards in days, and some of the lower areas of the mountains were warming up enough that patches of green could be seen starting to break through. People continued to do their chores and keep things running, but people were already starting to pack up, keeping out only what they immediately needed, indicating that soon they intended to move out.

There were still some of them that fully expected Sadie to leave once they got back closer to civilisation. Dutch had spoken to her a couple of times since the night they had slaughtered the O'Driscolls in the mining settlement. She got the distinct impression he was trying to ascertain what her intentions were without pressing too hard to outright ask her. A large part of that surely had to be safety. Once she left the gang, presuming she did, anything she could tell law enforcement about them would surely be of use, even if it was just basics like how many of them there actually were. He never threatened her, at least, not directly. In fact, any time he spoke with her, asking her if she was alright, if there was anyone that she would like them to drop her off with, he always spoke in a silky, almost hypnotic tone that put her at ease, though given what she had seen at the settlement, she had no doubt if she represented a threat to the camp, he would not hesitate to take decisive action.

He needn't have worried though. Knowing what she did now, that the Van Der Linde Gang had been involved in a long and intense blood feud with the O'Driscolls that went back many years, she had already made the decision to stay. She had nothing left now. She and Jake didn't really have any family left to speak of, and she didn't have any possessions, or even anywhere to go really. Sure, she could take her chances with the kindness of strangers, but the one thing sticking with Dutch could give her that no one else could was a guarantee to cross paths with the O'Driscolls again, and that meant leading her to Tom. The man who had taken Jake from her.

She was sitting by a fire, inspecting the weapons she had lifted from the O'Driscoll camp. Although she would gladly end Tom any way she could, even if she had to ram her fist down his throat and choke the bastard to death, since he was surrounded by O'Driscolls, that wasn't a practical approach. The others had weapons, but she didn't want to ask any of them for any weapons. She was sure they'd probably not part with them anyway. The O'Driscolls definitely wouldn't need the repeater or the revolver anymore.

She was sitting, inspecting the weapons to see how serviceable they were. Although she's already used them, there was a difference between weapons that worked, and weapons that were in good condition. Her own weapons were buried under what was left of the homestead, and if she was going to be stuck with these, she wanted to know what she had to work with. She let out a low sigh as she inspected it.

"God damn it, ain't you ever heard of oil?" She muttered as she dismantled the repeater, inspecting it carefully. It seemed like its previous owner had not been a careful owner. The weapon was worn, had traces of rust, and was so filthy she wondered if he'd used it as a shovel at some point. The revolver didn't seem any better. The O'Driscolls seemed to have as little regard for their weapons as they did the property and the lives of others. The last thing she wanted was one of the guns to seize or backfire when she finally got to use it. As she started to get to work, she looked around the camp.

The others were already starting to pack up, preparing to move out. The blizzards had passed a few days ago and Hosea had already told them of their destination, a place he had been through some years ago named Horseshoe Overlook, near the town of Valentine. She'd since ascertained that Hosea was more of a con-artist than a gunman given the way others spoke about him, and he was the oldest in the gang by a significant margin so he had been set the task of overseeing the move. She'd heard some talk of a train, most likely a robbery, but Hosea had said once Dutch and the others returned, they would be leaving.

It was quite something to see them pack up. It was almost like a military operation. The speed and efficiency with which they moved was incredible. The nature of their live meant they were used to moving in a hurry. It was clearly not the first time, everyone instinctively knew what their tasks were, even Jack was helping, trailing after his mother. No one asked Sadie to help, though given how well versed everyone seemed to be in what they were doing, she felt like she'd probably only get in the way if she tried.

There was only one person she could see that wasn't helping. Helen was standing by one of the outbuildings with a revolver, almost like she was guarding something. Sadie had no idea what was in that building, but since the attack on the mining settlement, she'd seen Dutch and the others going in and out of that building. Over the time they were planning to hit the train, they'd made sure the building was guarded, with one of the gang always standing at the door. She'd asked what was in there, but everyone was pretty hesitant to talk about it. Abigail, who had been the kindest to her across the time she'd been in the camp, was the closest to telling her anything, beginning to stammer something, before enigmatically saying that it was best that Sadie didn't think about it and asking her not to ask anyone again. She didn't get the impression it was meant as a threat, the look in Abigail's eyes indicated she genuinely thought it was best that Sadie didn't know what was in there.

Dutch and the others rode back in to a huge cheer. Dutch held up a bunch of papers in his hand.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, with this one score it looks like our luck is beginning to change!" Dutch declared. "Thanks to a Mr Leviticus Cornwall and these bearer bonds of his, we should soon be coming into quite a bit of money. Hosea, this is your kind of thing, what do you think are our chances of moving these?"

"Everything seems to be in order, but they'll be pretty hot for a while." Hosea said, inspecting them. "I reckon I should be able to find a way to cash these, but it'll take some time."

"Time? That's the one thing we don't have!" Bill complained. "If this Cornwall is so damn rich, why was there no money on his train?"

"Bill, this is just a setback." Dutch said, trying to calm him.

"You saw his train, it was like a palace on wheels, but there weren't no money!" Bill reiterated. "Damn it Dutch, we need CASH, not papers that can be turned INTO cash eventually!"

"And cash we shall get Bill, once we're back off this mountain." Dutch assured him, gesturing to the bonds. "These are the long-term plan; we can worry about the immediate plans once we get to Horseshoe."

"You got to relax a little Bill; you're going to do yourself a mischief." Micah mocked him arrogantly.

"Alright, now Arthur is taking care of the train, we're moving out as soon as he gets back." Dutch told them. "Micah, Lenny, I want the two of you to ride on ahead and scout out the area. As Mr Williamson pointed out, we're going to need some cash pretty quickly. I'd like someone out there doing some ground work. The rest of you be ready to move! If I know Arthur, he won't be long!"

Micah and Lenny rode off, while the rest of the group finished packing up. Sadie quickly put her weapons back together, packing them into one of the wagons. Really all she had was a couple of outfits that Tilly had given her and those guns, so her packing didn't take long. She did see Javier and Dutch standing by the outbuilding, discussing something. Javier gestured inside.

"So, what do we do about…you know?" He asked, pulling out one of his many knives with a rather sinister look on his face. Javier had a thing about knives, Sadie could hardly remember a time where he didn't have one in his hands. "I can make it quick or…"

"No, I don't think we've found out all we can yet." Dutch responded. "Just…keep it under wraps right now."

"Whatever you say." Javier sighed, almost sounding disappointed as he put his knife away. He noticed Sadie and nodded his head in her direction. Dutch turned to see her.

"Mrs Adler, are you packed up and ready to go?" He asked her.

"I don't have that much to pack." She reminded him. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Mrs Adler, why don't you get yourself up on the wagon with Abigail and the others?" He asked, turning her away from the outhouse. "We just have a few things to sort out here. Arthur should be back shortly."

"Are you sure I can't…"

"Believe me Mrs Adler, we have everything under control." Dutch told her. "In the meantime, you go and get yourself comfortable. We have a long trip ahead of us."

The journey out of the mountains was a long one, but everyone was grateful to be out of the mountains and back somewhere there wasn't snow on the ground.

It was almost a week later they arrived in Horseshoe Overlook, deep in a region known as The Heartlands. Hosea had picked this place well, knowing that they needed somewhere that had easy access to the roads, but was hidden enough that a camp full of outlaws would attract a lot of attention. The overlook was a small rocky outcrop just beyond some trees on the edge of the road back towards the town of Valentine. Most of The Heartlands was wide open plain, but here they'd be concealed from the main road.

Everyone seemed to like the new camp site, something that wasn't lost on Sadie. Given where they had been it wasn't a surprise, but the mood was definitely much improved as they made themselves at home. Once again it was evident, they were used to moving quickly since it took only a couple of hours from this overlook being a rather plain plateau into its own small community. People were already talking about the area and what it could offer them. Charles had already expressed how plentiful the game was around here. Deer, pronghorn, rabbits, he'd even said he had a feeling there may be bison migrating through the area. Although the only reliable sign Sadie knew of that Bison were in the area was seeing them, she didn't for a second doubt Charles' instincts on the matter. Hosea and Javier spoke of a stream only a short way from the camp that would provide plenty of fish. Now that the shelters were set up and people were starting to talk, Dutch took this moment to speak to them.

"Now, everyone put your tools down for a moment! Gather round, quickly now!" He beckoned them, heading for his own tent in the centre of the camp. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and came to listen. "I know that things have been tough, but we are safe, for now, and we are far too poor."

Sadie didn't really care too much about that. The only value she had for money right now was buying enough bullets, perhaps some new guns. There were still a lot of people out there who knew where Tom was. People who could bring her to the revenge she so desperately sought. Her hand strayed to her wedding ring, beginning to play with it.

"So, it is time, for everyone to get to work!" He declared, getting a murmur of agreement from the crowd. Sadie definitely wanted to get to work. Get to work finding out where the O'Driscolls had gone. Just like the Van Der Lindes, they needed to go somewhere. When they weren't out stealing, killing, raping, burning…everyone needed to eat, everyone needed to sleep. While she doubted Colm would be stupid enough to actually have a permanent home, which would be such a sure-fire way to get caught he may as well tie the noose himself, they still needed somewhere to camp down.

"Get to work, but stay out of trouble." Hosea interrupted. "Remember, we are itinerant workers, laid off when our factory up north was closed down."

Sadie stifled a little chuckle. Hosea was always quick with things like that. What Dutch, Arthur and definitely Micah preferred to do with a gun, he would do with a simple story. He was a con-man, a trickster of considerable experience. She hadn't really thought about it before now, but it was for the best they had an explanation for why a group as large as this just suddenly turned up in the area. It was a simple story, but it looked like simple was for the best. Easy to remember, mundane enough that people wouldn't be likely to ask for further details. It was almost unbelievable that it would work, but given how readily everyone accepted the story, it seemed like this was not a new procedure to them all.

"Now get out there, and see what you can find." Dutch instructed them. "No more passengers. It is time for everyone to earn their keep!"

Sadie already knew how she was expected to contribute. She'd been helping Pearson with the meals now since she arrived, but she didn't want to be stuck with that. She'd already demonstrated that she could hunt. No one had ever accused her of not pulling her weight in her life. She didn't plan on that starting now.

"There is a town, a little way down the track, name of Valentine." Hosea told them. "Livestock town, all mud and morons from what I remember."

Sadie had been to Valentine a couple of times in the correct season. While she went there to buy in supplies and a few hogs to fatten up for the end of the season, she couldn't find herself disagreeing with him.

"We need food. Real food!" Pearson chimed in. "That means every day someone needs to go out."

Sadie looked to Charles and they both smiled at each other. Charles was definitely the strongest hand when it came to hunting, but he had seen that Sadie was more than capable herself. Between them, they were sure there was little to worry about. Dutch pulled out a box, setting it up beside his tent.

"And remember, whatever it is you find, the camp gets its slice!" He said, pointing to the box. "Now, be sensible out there!"

Everyone parted ways to get back to their own business. Pearson gestured her back to the chuck wagon.

"Alright, tonight we're going to have to make do with what's on the wagon, but hopefully now we're somewhere with a little more game hopefully things should pick up here soon!" He told her cheerfully. Sadie picked up a knife, starting to chop some vegetables.

"Mr Pearson, you mind if I ask you somethin'?" She began.

"Of course not." He responded.

"You…just stay in camp and cook?" She asked him. "You don't go out robbin' and all that other stuff with the others?" Pearson just looked to her.

"I was in the navy for many years Mrs Adler." He informed her. "I had my fill of shooting and killing long ago."

"But…I thought you were a chef in the navy." She responded. He just looked to her; the usual, cheerful smile gone from his lips.

"Even chefs need to take up arms when under fire." He told her. He picked up a cleaver. "If the closest I come to picking up a weapon for the rest of my days is one of these, I would die a happy man."

Sadie could understand the sentiment, though she had to wonder if he'd feel differently if he'd lost anyone he loved. She liked Pearson. He'd treated her very well since she came into the camp. She could tell that he had seen some awful things, things that he never wanted to speak of ever again, but as awful as whatever he'd seen was, she couldn't imagine if he had lost what she had he would ever be able to let it go.

As she was chopping vegetables, she noticed Bill and Javier going to the back of the wagon Dutch had been riding in. A few moments later, they started to drag someone out, someone that Sadie hadn't seen before now. The fact that he was tied up made it clear he was not an invited guest. They dragged him to a tree not far from the chuck wagon and started to tie him up.

"What the…what's going on here?" Sadie asked them. "Who's that guy?"

"He's…uh…"

"Was he in the outhouse up in the mountain?" She asked. Pearson just nodded. "Who is he?"

"He's…he's an O'Driscoll." Pearson told her. Sadie noticeably tensed up as soon as he said that. "Arthur brought him back from the attack on their camp.

"An O'Driscoll?" She asked. "He's an O'Driscoll?"

"Now, Mrs Adler…I understand how you feel…"

"You have an O'Driscoll in the God Damned camp!" She screamed at him.

"Please, try to calm down…" He said as she picked up his cleaver and started to make her way over. "Aw shit…DUTCH! We have a problem here!"

Sadie's eyes burned through the O'Driscoll as she came towards him, deciding what to cut off first. It wasn't Tom, but it was a start. This man, whoever he was, rode with the same gang. She clutched the cleaver tightly, marching towards him.

"Son of a Bitch, Javier!" Dutch called out as he saw her. Javier saw the cleaver and knew exactly what was about to happen. Sadie brought her hand up over her head, aiming to bury the cleaver straight in the O'Driscoll's skull. Javier moved quickly to grab her wrist, stopping her.

"Let go of me!" She screamed as she wrestled to get the cleaver back. Dutch came running over.

"Mrs Adler, please try to calm…"

"Calm down? You want me to calm down?" She screamed. "You told me you were going to kill O'Driscolls…and you have one in your God Damned camp?"

"Yes, we do…" He said, at which she tried to renew her struggles. "…Mrs Adler, make no mistake, it makes me just as sick as it does you."

"They took EVERYTHING from me!" She screamed, turning her attention to the prisoner. "Your friends ruined my life!"

"I…I swear I don't know what you're talkin' about!" The O'Driscoll stammered as his eyes were drawn to the cleaver.

"Your friend Tom and a bunch of your friends came to my home!" She yelled at him. "You murdered my husband…!"

"Tom? I…I…I hate that feller! I hate all them O'Driscolls!" He protested. "I…I never wanted to ride with 'em…"

"BULLSHIT!" She screamed.

"Mrs Adler, please calm down!" Dutch called out. "Sadie, have I ever given you reason to doubt me?"

She didn't answer, she was much too livid. Dutch guided her away from the O'Driscoll.

"That man is an O'Driscoll, yes, but he has been an invaluable source of information." He explained. "He told us all about the train that they were sent to rob. He is the reason that we pulled off that job without a hitch."

"So, you got the train! Now he's…"

"He said that he was in a camp with Colm O'Driscoll himself!" Dutch interrupted her. Sadie just stopped and stared at him. "Now, I have no problem with letting you do what you're intending to do. But for right now, if he can lead us to Colm, and he can lead us to the man who took your husband from you, then he is far more useful to us alive right now."

Sadie thought about it for a moment. She wanted nothing more than to take the cleaver and start hacking. To keep going until there was nothing left, but Dutch had managed to make her see reason. Killing him now would not bring her any closer to Tom. She let the cleaver drop to the ground, at which Dutch smiled.

"I'm sorry we kept this from you. I had a feeling something like this might happen." He told her. "Believe me, we only have your best interests at heart."

Sadie just nodded in understanding.

"Now, how about you get him something to eat?" Dutch asked her. "It's been a long trip."

Sadie went back to the chuck wagon. Javier came over to Dutch, picking up the cleaver.

"I would not want to get on the wrong side of her." Javier commented. He saw Dutch smiling. "Dutch…did you just see what happened?"

"That I did Javier." He commented as Sadie went to the prisoner. She waved a bowl around under his face.

"You hungry? You want some of this?" She asked him, before dumping it on the ground. "Well there it is! In the dirt! Where you left my husband!"

With that, she stormed off to the edge of the camp. She needed to be alone. She could understand why they didn't tell her there was an O'Driscoll in the camp. If she'd known, she'd almost certainly have killed him. She would have gladly left him to die on the mountain, but if she'd done that, she might have killed the best chance she had to find Tom. That was all that mattered. Her hand strayed back to her wedding ring as she looked out into the wilderness.


	7. A Trip To Valentine

The next few days around the camp were tense to say the least for Sadie. The O'Driscoll in the camp was by no means getting easy treatment, but it was still not good enough for her. Dutch kept assuring her that they merely wanted to loosen his tongue, and to ensure anything he told them was genuine. Only the thought of what Dutch had told her, that the O'Driscoll had in fact seen Colm O'Driscoll himself and could potentially lead them to him kept her from butchering him like a hog. Between surviving largely on game during the winter months in the mountains and rearing some pigs during the summer, she had gotten a fair bit of practice at butchery, and even if she said so herself, she was rather good at it.

Getting him to talk wasn't exactly the problem, he sang like a song thrush any time anyone even glanced at him. By now he'd been a captive of the Van Der Linde gang for almost a couple of weeks. The gang took it in turns to question him, using all the tools at their disposal. By having different people question him and at different times, they could prevent him getting too rested and exhaustion could limit his capacity to lie. They all had their own various methods of trying to draw answers from him while they compared notes to see which of his stories tallied and were likely to be true.

It still festered in her guts to watch though. There was a time she'd probably have been sickened watching as they took turns, threatening him, bargaining with him, sometimes actively torturing him. It helped though that she didn't really see him as a man. He made his choices when he rode with the O'Driscolls. He was not worthy of any pity, even if she was able to give any. But as the days went by, she wondered what progress was being made. It felt like they were no closer now to Colm than they had been when they first got here. They seemed to keep asking the same questions over and over again just to see if over time his answers changed.

Spirits did lift a little in the camp though. John Marston, the man Arthur had pulled from the mountain, was finally back on his feet. He was still a little wobbly but considering the fact that he had been brought back after being used as a chew toy for a pack of wolves it was hardly surprising. He was still moving rather gingerly and since they couldn't really risk taking someone with such extensive injuries into town, he had to take his chances with what Pearson and Strauss could do. He kind of looked a little bit like a roughly-sewn patchwork quilt when Mr Pearson was done, though he didn't complain. Others cheerfully pointed out that his new prominent facial scars would now make him look more like a real outlaw and not such a pretty-boy. Molly had been diplomatic enough to point out that Sadie should feel better now there was someone with a face more messed up than hers. Sadie really wanted to show Molly what a messed up face really looked like.

One day though, while John was working over the O'Driscoll, no doubt in some kind of attempt to prove that he was still one of the top hands in the gang, things started to really get to Sadie. She'd watched this same dance again and again for days, though the final straw came when someone, she wasn't sure who, suggested using a set of gelding tongs on the man. With all the laughter and hollering drilling through her skull, she finally had enough and just needed to get away. She started to head for the horses.

"Sadie?" Someone asked. She looked around to see Abigail approaching her.

"I'm really not in the mood!" Sadie warned her. "I can't listen to those chuckling morons another minute!"

"I know, I understand, it's just…I really don't want to watch this either." She told her. "I was going to take Jack into Valentine to have a look around. I was wondering if you wanted to come with us."

Sadie could understand why Abigail wanted to get away from this. It was one thing that John, Abigail's lover and Jack's father, was an outlaw, but it was quite another for Abigail to want her son to see that kind of violence first hand. Given the fact that John was presently yanking down another man's pants while one of his friends heated up a set of gelding tongs to threaten to castrate him it was a scene that even Sadie in her current mindset could understand a mother not wanting her son to see.

"Sure thing." She responded. Abigail smiled and took her towards the wagon, helping her son onto it before climbing aboard. Sadie collected her guns before joining them. She took one last look over to where Dutch was laughing, questioning the O'Driscoll while Bill danced around with the tongs menacingly. She just rolled her eyes. If they wanted to geld the man, she'd done it to enough pigs in her time to show them how to do it right.

The journey into town wasn't especially long. If she'd been riding alone on a horse, it would probably only have taken Sadie a couple of minutes, but with the wagon it took them just a little longer. Jack was enthralled, eager and interested to see for himself what this "civilisation" everyone talked about really looked like. He was much too young to really leave the camp. Abigail didn't head out much, and he usually trailed around after her. Sadie couldn't help smiling to think that anyone was so excited to see a livestock town, but given the fact his only real contact with people was the camp, everything was new and exciting to him.

"Jack, sit down, I don't want you to fall." Abigail told him as he was leaning on the side wall. He sat back down in the middle of the wagon, but continued to look all around him. "Jack's been really excited about seeing the town. It'll be the first time in ages he's seen anyone other than the others in camp. It'll be nice for him to see someone other than outlaws for a bit."

"Trust me, there ain't nothin' so great about ranchers." Sadie told her as they hit the town limits. "In my experience, the half that weren't dumb as rocks were ignorant as hell."

"But, weren't you a rancher?" Abigail asked her.

"I was." Sadie answered. "But Jake and I, we tried to keep to ourselves. A lot of the ranchers were pretty mouthy about how they thought people should be. We didn't much like listenin' to their bullshit."

"Uncle Hosea said the General Store has some great candy!" Jack piped up excitedly. Abigail just laughed.

"Oh, don't worry, I didn't forget." Abigail told him. "It's hard to when someone tells me about fifty times."

The term 'one horse town' wasn't really accurate, being a livestock town there were plenty of horses in Valentine, but it was a pretty small place all things considered. There weren't really any homes there, since most of the people were farmers and needed the land for their businesses. With the exception of the auction yard, which took up most of the space, the entirety of the town was basically only one street. A simple dirt track flanked on both sides by a few buildings. There was a bank, a hotel and a gunsmith on one side, while there was a saloon, the general store, the doctor's office and the sheriff's office on the other. Abigail pulled the wagon up to the general store.

"Alright, from what I heard the saloon's pretty good. When we finish up in the store how about we get something that isn't one of Mr Pearson's concoctions?" She asked.

"That sounds like an idea." Sadie responded.

"Jack, how about you keep Mrs Adler company in the General Store while I get something from the doctor for your father?" She asked. "My John's a lot of things, but he's not great at knowing what's good for him. Already up on his feet? If I left it to him he'd end up with gangrene."

"Alright Jack; let's go see what that candy's like." Sadie replied as she headed for the store. It was clear that Abigail loved John dearly, though the way Abigail talked about him and sometimes to him, she wondered if she saw him as a partner or as another child. It was obvious that some of the things he did grated on Abigail, and given the way she spoke of and about the gang she was getting the impression Abigail wanted to get her family out of that life. Given the way John was acting when they left though, she did have to wonder if it was at all realistic that he would ever be able to live any other way. There weren't many men quite so eager to watch someone being threatened with mutilation.

Sadie went into the General Store, leaving Jack to go and explore the array of Candy. She handed the list to the shopkeeper.

"I was just here to pick up some stuff for…"

"Are you with that group of itinerant workers?" He asked. Sadie just nodded.

"Yes I am." She answered. He just sighed.

"Well, it figures they'd send one of the women folk after they caused such a ruckus." He commented as he inspected the list. "Tommy's still never been the same."

Sadie didn't really know what happened, but she had heard some of the guys talking and saying that they'd been involved in a bar brawl shortly after they got to Valentine. Arthur in particular had been involved in an especially brutal confrontation with something of a local heavy by the name of Tommy. There were some saying Arthur almost beat him to death, others saying that he'd never been the same since it happened, and he was now touched in the head. Having seen the state Arthur had come back in though, unless Tommy was now in a pine box it sure as hell looked like he gave as good as he got and Arthur was perfectly justified in anything short of decapitating him.

"I suppose none of the 'gentlemen' sought to help you?" He asked with a judgemental tone of voice. "Where's your wagon?"

"Just out front." Sadie replied, keeping her temper in check. She was more than capable of loading the wagon herself, but if this go the job done a little faster then she was all for it.

"Alright, I'll just be in the saloon. I'll be by to pay up in a little while."

"I should be finished loading by then." He replied as Jack came over with a large bag of various candies and a hopeful look on his face. Sadie just smiled.

"I guess we're taking this now." She replied. "How much?"

"I'll just add it to the tab." The storekeeper replied. "Now, don't you go spoiling your dinner and be good for your mother alright?"

"Oh, he ain't..." Sadie started to say, before stopping herself.

"I will sir." Jack interrupted her. "Come on momma, I'm hungry"

He led Sadie out of the door towards the saloon. Jack was young, very young, perhaps only about 4-5 years old, yet he had lied so seamlessly and effortlessly. She had a feeling that he was used to it by now. He seemed to just instinctively roll with the shop-keeper's assumption that Sadie was his mother, a pretty natural assumption now that she thought about it.

She looked down to the energetic little boy, and couldn't help thinking about him. He was a curious, polite and eager young child that she had hardly ever seen without a book in his hands. In some ways, he almost seemed like a miniature version of her husband. She had grown up with Jake, and could remember him being a lot like that as a kid. Jack was a bit of a curiosity, he didn't seem to take much after his parents.

His father was very much content with being a leading hand and enforcer in Dutch's gang, while his mother, she had actually seen Jack teaching HER to read at times. Despite a lot of advances in the area it was still not uncommon for a lot of adults to be unable to read, especially in poorer communities where kids would be pulled from school young out of necessity to work. She knew that Hosea and particularly Dutch taught many of his gang to read and write. They were useful skills to have for figuring out useful information for jobs. People did leave a lot of information just lying around if one was willing to look and feign a little ignorance to put minds at ease. By the time they got to the saloon Sadie found Abigail at the bar already ordering up.

"There's a table just over by the window...what's left of the window anyway." Abigail told her. "So, I would ask how you got on but I think I can see!"

Jack was already burying his hand into the bag. Sadie just nodded.

"I didn't really have the heart to say no." She answered. "That's alright ain't it?"

"Its fine, because he knows he needs to make that bag last doesn't he?" Abigail said, looking to Jack. "Because it might be a while before we're in town again!"

Jack just nodded, before going back to his candy. Sadie sat with Abigail as they looked to the boarded up window.

"Let me guess, Arthur?" She asked. Abigail sighed.

"He does like to leave his mark on a town." She chuckled, giving Sadie a bottle of beer. "So, how does it feel getting out of the camp for a little while?"

"Everybody's been so great, I can't..."

"You know it's only us here." Abigail interrupted her. Sadie appreciated the gesture. She just started to play with the bottle in her hand.

"Everyone's meant well, but I just needed to get out of there." Sadie answered. "My head was splittin' watchin' them with that O'Driscoll..."

"Kieran." Abigail told her. Sadie just looked to her a little surprised. "His name's Kieran. Mary-Beth's been slipping him some water every now and then. Probably the main reason he's still alive."

"I just...I get so frustrated watchin' them with him. He could lead them to Colm and they're just playin' with him!" She complained.

"I'm not sure how much he actually knows." Abigail told her. "I just didn't want Jack to see any more of that. There's only so many times I can send him out to pick flowers."

"His dad seemed to be enjoyin' himself." Sadie remarked.

"Don't get me started." Abigail commented. "John is...I don't know...I knew what he was when I got together with him. But I guess I just see what he could be, even if he doesn't at times."

She could see the way Sadie was looking at her and just laughed nervously.

"I know, I'm not making any sense." She commented. "I just, I know it's complicated but...You know how you can love someone even if it seems like no one else in the world understands why right?"

"I get that. Me and Jake...a lot of people thought like that about us too." Sadie said, feeling at ease to talk about her late husband. It was the first time she could remember being able to talk about him with anything but anger in her heart. "He was...he was sweet. He liked to read. He weren't much for farming..."

"But...weren't you both farmers?" Abigail asked her. Sadie just chuckled, a unique feeling. It felt like so long since she'd been able to laugh, she was starting to wonder if she still could. She felt elated to think about Jake like this, remembering the good in him.

"It was the life that let us both be who we were." Sadie told her. "A lot of folks in town didn't like it when he started talkin' about the stuff he'd been readin' about. Women votin', some ruckus buildin' up in Europe, the way everywhere seems to be buildin' up to look the same and no one seemed to notice until they were all sayin' and doin' the same things."

"He sounds like a bit of a hell-raiser." Abigail said.

"He got punched a lot when he went into town." Sadie said with a little smirk. "But...it never stopped him. He'd just get up, dust himself off and say they just proved his point. It drove me crazy sometimes but all I saw was the guy that I were always sweet on. Even before I knew what it meant to be sweet on someone."

She looked to Jack, who was still busy with his candy.

"He had a sweet tooth too." She commented. "If we'd been lucky enough, I think maybe we'd have had a kid like Jack here."

"You didn't?" Abigail asked her.

"We did try, it just...never happened." Sadie told her. "We just came to accept it. We never even went to the doctor to find out what the problem was. We figured knowin' would just make one of us feel bad instead of just acceptin' it was somethin' that life didn't have planned for us. Now though...now I guess I know what the problem was."

"You do?" Abigail asked. Sadie just looked to her. Abigail just got a look of realisation on her face. "Oh...I'm...I'm sorry..."

"I'm not. I guess the only thing that I'm a little sad about is Jake didn't get to find out he weren't the problem." Sadie sighed. "Or, maybe he did know and just didn't want to make me feel bad. It's the kind of thing he'd do now that I think about it."

"Maybe it just didn't matter to him." Abigail suggested. "Maybe you were enough for him."

"Jake would have been a good father." Sadie said as she took a drink from her beer.

"John would be better if he tried." Abigail said as she looked to Jack. "I swear, that man can run headlong into a pack of wolves or a heavily guarded train without a second thought, but the thought of being the dad I know he could be...that just seems to terrify him."

"I guess it scared me too." Sadie replied.

"Alright, the wagon should be loaded by now." Abigail told her. "The doctor should have mixed up John's medicine by now. We'll meet you by the wagon alright?"

"OK, that sounds good." Sadie replied.

"Say, you should still have a little left over once you've paid for that stuff." Abigail told her. "How about you see if they do clothes?"

"Clothes?" Sadie asked. "But...ain't this the gang's money?"

"Please, who do you think does the real work to keep things running in the camp?" Abigail chuckled. "Tilly's been sweet lending you those clothes, but don't you think you'd prefer something a little more you? I'm positive Dutch won't mind."

Sadie had to admit that getting some clothes of her own would feel great. Tilly had ensured she had stuff to wear, but her style was definitely not what Sadie would call in line with her own. She was a little hesitant to spend the gang's money, but perhaps if she bought a single outfit, just so she could get something of her own to wear for a couple of days at a time, maybe no one would mind.

She got back to the store, finding the wagon was indeed fully loaded and ready to go. She headed inside where the store keeper was behind the counter.

"Everything's ready just like you asked." He told her. "I have to say, that's quite a list, I was a little surprised I had it all."

"Here, keep a little something for yourself." She said, handing over the cash. She figured no one would mind her giving the store keeper a little something for his extra efforts. "Say, do you do clothing?"

"I've got a quick delivery to make at the auction yard. The clothes are just in the back, feel free to go check it out." He told her. She thanked him as she headed into the back to take a look. While Tilly had made sure she had things to wear, she still wanted something a little more comfortable. Perhaps something that might get the guys to take her a bit more seriously about going with them any time they wanted to go out with them. She didn't want to be stuck in camp all day when Tom was still out there. She heard the door opening as she was in the back, looking for some more practical clothing.

At first, she thought it was just the storekeeper going out, but soon enough there were a few sets of distinct footsteps letting her know a few people were in the shop.

"Oh my Lord, it has been way too long since I got me some decent cigarettes." One of the voices said. "What else was it we was to get?"

"Whisky, and plenty of it!" She heard another voice. She felt a chill running the full length of her spine as she heard him. That voice, she'd know that voice anywhere. It was the voice that echoed in her mind all day, every day, over and over again taunting her about the loss of her husband. Though she didn't need to look to know, she slowly made her way towards the door frame, looking back out into the main store. There he was, bold as brass, not even ten feet away. "Make sure to get some chocolate bars too! You know how much of a sweet tooth Colm has!"

Sadie's eyes narrowed, and her heart started thumping so loudly it filled her ears. Tom, the man she was looking for was right here in the store! He was only a few feet away! He had a couple of friends with him, no doubt other members of the gang. She could see three in total in the shop. Tom was pulling items off the shelf, alternating between putting them on the counter for purchase and stuffing them down his pants and in his duster. The small town stores tended to trust their clientele, and it seemed that Tom and his friends were taking full advantage of the fact the store keeper had left the shop unattended.

Sadie could hardly believe her luck. Fate must have delivered him to her, practically gift-wrapped. He was only a few feet away. All it would take was a couple of rounds and…

Shit! She had left her repeater on the wagon! If there was a God, surely he had to be taunting her right now. Tom was only a little way in front of her. If she moved out now she'd be able to take down all three of them before they even realised she was in the room if she had it! She reached instead to her holster, pulling out the revolver. Six bullets, it wasn't much, but it would have to do. She could definitely get Tom, the others…it wasn't quite as big a concern if she didn't. As long as Tom was the first one to get his skull opened like a melon that was what counted! Six rounds, she would make sure they counted! She was about to make her move when someone burst into the shop.

"Tom! The hideout's been hit!" Someone yelled at him.

"What? You've got to be shitting me!" He exclaimed in disbelief. "What the hell happened?"

"It was some of Van Der Linde's boys! Arthur, John the big one…there were so many of them! They came from nowhere! Ran right through us! I was lucky to get out!"

"Son of a bitch!" Tom snapped. "Colm?"

"He'd already rode out! He was headed for the ranch." The other O'Driscoll told him.

"How the hell did they even find out about the hideout?" Tom asked him.

"Kieran was with them." He informed him. "He must have talked."

"That turncoat bastard! Colm's gonna lose his God damned mind when he hears about this!" Tom replied. "Alright boys, we need to hit the ranch! Colm's gonna be pissed as hell about this!"

Shit, so close, so…CLOSE! She could see the window of opportunity slipping through her fingers as they left. Drawing the revolver, she barged out of the back room, but the O'Driscolls were already outside and mounting up. She could now see there were more than half a dozen of them. Maybe if she caught them by surprise she could get to the repeater in the wagon, if not…all she really needed was to make sure she hit Tom first. That was all that mattered, after that, she really didn't care if they killed her. Once Tom was dead, she'd probably welcome getting to join Jake.

By the time she got outside they were starting to ride away. She caught sight of Tom, she'd recognise him anywhere, his face was burned into her brain forever. She levelled the revolver taking careful aim for his skull while he and his men were riding away. She lined up the barrel straight for the back of his skull before pulling the trigger.

There was a loud bang, and a searing agony at which she fell to her knees, clutching at her hand, screaming. There was blood everywhere, and the gun lay in pieces. She already knew the revolver's previous owner hadn't taken very good care of it, but lacking another weapon or the means to get others, she had gone ahead and used them. The damned thing had backfired on her, injuring her hand! Abigail ran to her, grabbing her and pulling at her.

"We've got to go!" Abigail told her.

"He's getting away!" She screamed, seeing Tom riding away, completely unharmed. Some of his men were firing weapons randomly, no doubt as a way of discouraging people from following them to wherever this "ranch" was they were going to. It was the only reason they didn't seem to notice someone had tried to shoot them.

"And you just fired a revolver in the middle of the street only a few feet away from a sheriff's office!" Abigail shot out. "Jack, get in the wagon, we've got to get out of here NOW!"

Abigail quickly handed some money to the General Store owner, practically throwing it at him, before snatching up the reigns. Sadie got into the back of the wagon as they sped out of town, watching as the Sheriff and the deputies all stumbled out to see what the ruckus was. She didn't care about the fact she'd injured her hand, or the fact one of her weapons was destroyed. Now, all she could care about was the fact that she had her opportunity to get her revenge, and fate hand snatched it away.


	8. A New Gang Member

There was something of a commotion in the camp by the time Abigail drove the wagon back to the camp. There was usually more than a little excitement whenever anyone came back from a big job. Such was the inherent risk in their way of life that simply coming back was sometimes more than enough. Sometimes things went sideways in the worst possible way. The only reason they'd ended up in the mountains in the first place was because the job in Blackwater went side-ways in the worst possible way. So when they came back not just alive, but with something to show for it, it was very real cause for celebration.

Abigail wasn't too concerned about that right now. She was no doubt happy to know that John was back from his first job since recovering from his injuries at the hands of hungry wolves and didn't appear to have any major new injuries, but right now all she was concerned about was getting Sadie back to camp.

"Reverend Swanson, Mr Pearson, I need some help over here!" Abigail called out as she pulled up the wagon, clambering into the back where Sadie was sitting. She'd wrapped her hand in cloth, pretty much the only thing she could do while they were on the road.

"What's going on here? What happened?" Dutch demanded as people started to swarm around them.

"We ran into a little…issue on the road." Abigail told them. "There were some O'Driscoll's in Valentine. They ran off, but Sadie took a shot at them and her revolver backfired."

Sadie was a little surprised at Abigail's telling of the story. The one thing she knew that was a central rule of the gang was complete honesty. No one lied to the gang, and especially no one lied to Dutch. People's lives depended on Dutch having all the information he needed to plan the gang's next move. If someone pulled a job that went bad, even if it meant they would face Dutch's wrath, they needed to tell him because anything that brought attention their way could result in an attack. As well-hidden as the overlook was, it was also essentially cut off on three sides. A full-on attack by the law could be devastating.

What Abigail had said wasn't strictly speaking a lie, but she had left out a lot of details that were very important. For a start, she had left out the fact Sadie had taken her shot in the middle of the town. Something that could easily have brought the law running. She also failed to mention the fact that Sadie fired the first, and indeed only shot and it was only luck that the gang had been so caught up in getting away they hadn't come straight back through them. This thought made Sadie feel a little sick thinking about it. Abigail had every right to be livid. She and Jack were right there in the town with Sadie. Taking that pot shot had the very real danger of bringing them into the line of fire. However, Sadie had not only got Sadie out of there and was seeing to it she got help for her injuries, she was also covering her ass with Dutch.

"A shot, shots were fired? Did they follow you? Did the law follow…?"

"John, I've been in this life almost as long as you! No, we weren't followed, I was careful!" Abigail said, giving Sadie a little look. Sadie felt a little badly seeing that. Abigail was well and truly saving her, even from the others in the gang. Pearson unwrapped the cloth, taking a look at it.

"Hm…it doesn't look too bad, but you won't be chopping vegetables for a while." Pearson stated. "Arthur, how about a second opinion? You know more about this than me."

"That only happened to me the once." Arthur groaned as he came over. Sadie had hardly spoken to Arthur. In all the time since he rescued her from the homestead she had only spoken to him a handful of times. Arthur was pretty unique among the gang, he definitely had a very privileged position. Only Dutch and Hosea had been together any longer than him, and that brought with it some measure of privilege. Not only did he have his own tent, where many in the camp shared, he also had a lot of free rein in the camp.

Everyone basically would come and go as they pleased. Dutch was always very clear that no one was a slave or a prisoner in the camp, they were free to leave any time they wanted. The only thing they needed to return was to think of the gang first and to contribute to the camp. That said, most of them were around the camp a fair bit and certainly returned each night. No one thought anything of Arthur being gone for a day or two at a time.

He inspected the wound. His hands were rough, calloused, very much as she'd have expected from someone who spent their life as he did, but his touch was surprisingly gentle. He looked it over, humming and musing to himself as he considered it.

"It's not the worst I've seen, you got pretty lucky." He declared. "I've seen a blowback relieve people of their fingers, but you…well, you seem to have gotten away with mostly flash burn and a few cuts. It'll hurt like hell but you should be fine. Hosea, you got anything for burns?"

"It'll just take me a few minutes to whip something up." Hosea said, heading to his tent and starting to look out some herbs.

"You know, it's not a side-show, there really don't need to be this much of an audience." Arthur said, rather unsubtly instructing everyone to back off and leave them alone. They all started to head off to return to their own business. Sadie caught Abigail as she was about to leave.

"Abigail." She said, trying to think how best to say it in front of Arthur. "Thank you. For…bringing me back safely."

"Just don't make a habit of it." Abigail sighed. "Your fingers are in enough danger around Pearson's kitchen."

"I heard that!" Pearson shot back. Abigail took Jack to go back to the tent she shared with John. Arthur watched them go, while he started to clean her hand.

"So, you ran into some O'Driscolls in Valentine did you?" He asked her. She just nodded. "Just as well it didn't end up worse."

"They left pretty quickly." She informed him. "Said something about a ranch and an attack on their cabin…"

"Yeah, that was us." Arthur said with a little smile. "Turns out Kieran's information was pretty good after all. Got us a whole lot of dead O'Driscolls now. No sign of Colm though. I thought maybe he'd been lyin' to us, trying' to lead us into a trap but…"

"Colm was there." Sadie interrupted him. Arthur just looked to her a little curiously. "I heard one of the others saying he'd just left to go to the ranch before you hit the cabin."

"They said all that in front of you did they?" He asked. "Sounds like they said rather a lot while they was attackin' you."

Sadie didn't answer that one. Arthur had punched a pretty big hole in the story right there. The O'Driscolls weren't attacking them, hell, they probably still didn't even know she and Abigail were even there. They made that much of a ruckus on their way out of town to dissuade anyone from following that they'd never have noticed one more. She could see the look in his eyes and knew he could see right through her story. She just glared right back as she drew in closer.

"He were there." She told him. "The one that killed Jake, he were there."

"Now that…that I believe." He replied as he finished cleaning the injury. He pulled out a clean bandage and started to wrap her hand up gently, sighing and grumbling as though thinking to himself. He was Dutch's favourite, everyone said that. It wouldn't have surprised her if he told him, but after a moment he just looked to her.

"Dutch gets us to read a whole lot of books, one of them was by some Chinese feller, I forget his name. Anyway, this guy, he once said, if you go out lookin' for revenge, you start by diggin' two graves." He said quietly.

"I don't care how many I need to put in the ground. That bastard took everything from me." She responded. He just shook his head.

"I don't think that was the point that Chinese feller was tryin' to make." Arthur replied with a slightly defeated sigh. "Listen, revenge is a fool's game. We ain't in the revenge business."

"You and the others killed a whole bunch of O'Driscolls. I want to do the same thing." Sadie answered. "What does it matter to you why I wanna do it?"

Arthur thought about it for a moment, but before he answered, Dutch came over.

"How's the hand Mrs Adler?" He asked her.

"It should be fine." Arthur told him. "I was just thinkin', it might be an idea if Mrs Adler and Abigail don't leave the camp for a while."

"You think they were followed?" Dutch asked.

"No, I'm sure they were careful." Arthur told him. "But we've been makin' a lot of noise lately, might be best not to take the chance, especially when Mrs Adler's shootin' hand is healin' up."

"Good thinking Arthur." Dutch told him. "Mrs Adler, you just sit tight in the camp for a while. Now, I just have to go speak to our new member."

"I can't believe you just…"

"Trust me, this is for your own good." Arthur responded. "But in the meantime, next time you wanna take a pot-shot at some O'Driscoll, you might want to use an iron that actually works."

He pulled out a revolver, handing it to her.

"I saw that piece you were carryin' around. You're lucky it only burned your hand and didn't blow your own head off. It'd have been more danger to the other guy if you'd used it as a club."

"If that's what it took, I'd have done it." Sadie assured him.

"Well, this one is in a lot better shape." Arthur assured her. "I found it at the cabin. Let's just say its previous owner ain't gonna need it where he is now."

Sadie looked over the weapon, inspecting it and checking its parts moved freely. She put it in her holster.

"Fat lot of good it'll do me stuck in the camp." She muttered.

"I have no doubt you'll find a way to get some use out of it." Arthur groaned. Sadie just looked to him.

"So, what was Dutch talkin' about anyway?" She asked. "What did he mean new member?"

It took him a moment, and soon she knew why. He didn't want to tell her, but it wasn't like soon enough she wouldn't notice.

"It's Kieran." He told her.

"Kieran?" She asked. "The O'Driscoll?"

"Now, Mrs Adler…"

"You're right about one thing Arthur, I am gonna get to try this thing out!" She snarled as she got up from her seat. Arthur grabbed her and shoved her back down.

"God Damn it Mrs Adler, will you calm down and listen?" He asked her. "The kid's information was good. He led us straight to that cabin. When we were there, he even saved my life. One of them boys got the drop on me and Kieran shot him."

"But he's…"

"Listen, we ain't dumb, it's not like we're givin' him weapons and invitin' him in to all the plannin' meetin's." Arthur assured her. "He said he were a stable boy before the O'Driscoll's forced him to join so we're gonna let him mind the horses until we're sure he's serious about joinin' us instead."

"He rode with them murderin' sons of bitches…"

"And he saved my life so for now he gets the benefit of the doubt!" Arthur told her. "And if anythin' happens to him you better be sure…"

"You'll what? Tell Dutch on me?" She asked him. "You think I'm afraid of dyin'?"

"No, I'm perfectly sure you ain't." Arthur replied. "But if Dutch kicks you out or kills you, then you don't get anywhere close to that feller that killed your husband. I'm sure that thought'll stop you much faster than any threat we could make."

Sadie wasn't happy in the slightest to know that the O'Driscoll was going to be staying in the camp with them. She could just see him now, talking to John and Bill, not tied up, not restrained in any way. It seemed they really were just going to let him join them with no idea if he would turn on them. Arthur waved a hand in front of his face.

"Now, I know you'll be watchin' him closer than any of us." He stated. "Never bring attention to the camp. There are way too many lives at stake."

"Mail call!" Karen called out as she returned to the camp. "Got somethin' fancy here, real pretty writin' for Tacitus Kilgore."

She handed the envelope to Arthur.

"Huh…this writin'…if you'll excuse me Mrs Adler."

Sadie didn't really care much about him leaving, all she could focus on right now was the so-called turncoat O'Driscoll. She wasn't going to be leaving the camp any time soon, and apparently neither was he, that would give her plenty of time to figure out if he really was on the level or full of shit.

Back in the present in the tavern, Levin's jaw was almost on the table.

"Tacitus Kilgore…you mean my collaborator Tacitus Kilgore was…was ARTHUR MORGAN?" He asked in disbelief. He didn't really believe for a minute that Tacitus Kilgore was a real name. Hell, the fact that he had ended up killing four of the most famous gunslingers in history in the course of helping Levin get material for his book had left him with little doubt that he was probably a person of note in his own right, but Arthur Morgan? Arthur's name was a legend all of its own. It was spoken of in the same breath as figures like Calloway, James, Hall, Bonny, Van Der Linde…if he'd known he'd have probably tried to get some of his story from him.

"Yeah, he was." Sadie replied as she pulled out her pocket watch again, checking it.

"Shit." She exclaimed. "Well, there ain't nothin' happenin' here now. Guess it's time I was headin'."

"Wait, wait! Where are you going?" He asked as she headed for the door.

"I like a drink but I ain't a soak that likes to pass out and sleep on tavern floors!" She told him. "I'm goin' to set up camp and get some sleep."

"But…there are hotel rooms nearby and…"

"I don't care much for hotels." She told him. "I've picked up so many fugitives from hotels I know that it just gives people somewhere to look. A camp can be set up anywhere."

"I know, but…" He just sighed and looked to the notes he'd already taken. "Oh, never mind."

She got to the door and paused as she turned back, seeing him slumped over the bar, looking over his notes.

"Well?" She asked. "Are you comin' or what?"

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"You want the rest of your dang story don't you?" She asked him. He just nodded. "Well, come on then!"

She could see the look in his face, like she could almost see the cogs turning around in his head trying to figure out what the best move was from here. On one hand, he'd already learned that Sadie's story was more than he had ever expected, but on the other…camping around Saint Denis? That meant the swamps and by the looks of his clothes, Levin didn't really seem like the kind of guy that liked to spend too much time in the dirt.

He hurriedly bundled together his things and stuffed them into his bag, before rushing to the door, barging past her on the way. Sadie just smirked.

"Well, I guess everyone has a few surprises in 'em." She remarked.


	9. A Family of Bastards and Lost Souls

Saint Denis was truly a marvel of the modern world. One of the blueprints of what the future held for the world and the country. Some even called it the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World. Paved streets instead of dirt tracks, streets lined with gas lanterns so that anyone could do virtually anything at any time of day or night, all day train links, multi-storey buildings…the city was alive and thriving 24 hours a day. That…couldn't be further from where Levin was now.

One of the most marvellous things about Saint Denis to many was that it could be built at all! Most of the area around it was inhospitable swamp. The land could hardly support the weight of much in the way of permanent structures and wooden walkways and bridges had to be built over the ground just to allow transport in and out of the city. There were numerous stories of ghosts and "Night Folk", savage people who had foregone any illusion of humanity and were more like animals than people anymore out in the woods. The real threats were all the more terrifying. The flora and fauna were not in the slightest friendly. Poisonous snakes, alligators, snapping turtles…even the local plants weren't exactly inviting with more than one traveller falling afoul of accidentally consuming Oleander or one of the many types of berries or mushrooms that looked tasty but concealed deadly secrets that would lay low the unwary.

Levin was by no means a stranger to camping. Sometimes in pursuit of inspiration for his books, his travels would take him far from the towns and cities. It may be a new century where virtually every settlement regardless of how large or small would have some kind of accommodation available where travellers could rest up before the next stage of their journey, but the railroads still hadn't linked up every major population centre, the automobile was still very much in its infancy and so prohibitively expensive it was more of a novelty of the rich than a viable method of travel for the majority of people meaning that most still had to resign themselves to a long horse ride for the majority of their travel needs, and horses needed to rest as much as their riders. It wasn't always possible to get to the nearest settlement for a warm bed with four walls and a roof. Of course, this was stretching his level of comfort to the limits.

They weren't far from the city, he could still see it from here, glowing brightly and invitingly, promising warm meals, warm beds a bath, something he was starting to think he'd sorely need. That Saint Denis could even be built at all in the swamps was a marvel of engineering all of its own, but it was jarring to think they were only a little way out and it felt like a different world. They were a way from the woods, out in the open marsh, and the ground underneath them was soft and spongey. Fortunately, they had plenty of blankets to keep the moisture from them so their bedrolls would at least be dry. The fire was like a beacon in the night, and had to be able to be seen for some way, but it was the best source of warmth in the area. Sadie had told him she'd be right back and headed off, but that was now close to an hour ago. He pulled out his hip flask and took a quick swig of whiskey as he tried to calm himself. It didn't work as well as he'd hoped, especially when a large roll of leathery material flopped down next to him with a loud thud. A piece of cloth was thrown down next to it with some freshly butchered meat wrapped inside.

"Jumpy ain't ya." Sadie chuckled as she took a seat on her bedroll. "That there should give us somethin' to eat in the mornin'. We'll be headin' into the city again once the mornin' stages start arrivin' that good for you?"

"I…I suppose so…um…Mrs Adler, can I just ask, if we're going back into the city, why can't we just stay there?" He asked her. "I could always pay for a room if…"

"You think I can't pay for a room?" She asked him. "That bastard I brought in got me over a hundred dollars! I could have a room if I wanted."

"Then…why are we…?"

"I never sleep in a city." She interrupted him. "Cities have alleys, corners, all sorts of places people can come up on you without you seein' em. I should know, I caught up with more than one scumbag that way. Out here, I can see and hear someone comin' long before they get into range. Or…more importantly she can."

Sadie gestured to her horse. Arabians were noted for being naturally skittish horses, prone to panicking and running off. Despite their speed and endurance, a lot of people tended to veer away from them, especially if they were looking for a horse to ride into troubled areas. Of course, that natural instinct also made them a very good early warning of incoming danger. It made a little sense to him now that she would choose a naturally nervous breed when she worked in a profession that saw a lot of gunfire. He just nodded.

"Yes…yes, but I've heard all sorts of stories about the kinds of things that are out here." He told her. "Like…alligators. Does that worry you?"

"Where do you think that came from?" Sadie asked, gesturing to the meat and the leathery material. Levin just gulped. "My boots are by their best, but I reckon a trapper should be able to do somethin' with that. You don't need to worry, there ain't nothin' with less than four legs that'll come anywhere near the fire."

Levin could see the smirk on her face and just sighed, looking defeated. Sadie was taking great amusement in his discomfort, even if a part of her was a little impressed by how far he was willing to go to get his story. She'd heard from Arthur all about his misadventures with Calloway, and at first had been reluctant to have much to do with him given the fact his Calloway book had been released posthumously but she was starting to see what Arthur had in Levin other than a quick payday. She took a little pity on him.

"So, if you're still feelin' a little jittery, maybe you might want to ask a few more questions?" She suggested. Levin started scrambling for his pen and his pad. He looked to her, trying best to think of what to ask.

"So, you were restricted to camp along with a former O'Driscoll?" He asked her. "That has to have been difficult."

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe." She responded as she thought about it. "Kieran insisted he were done with the O'Driscolls, kept tellin' us that he never wanted to be one in the first place. Not many people in the camp listened though. They all gave him a hard time. I know I spent a lot of time cleanin' my weapons around him. I'd have used 'em too if Dutch hadn't made it clear I'd be out on my ear if I did anythin' without his say so."

"Dutch, he's a huge figure, a legend, but despite the stories I've never actually met anyone that said particularly much about him." Levin said, checking some notes. "It's a little difficult to figure out fact from fiction, I've never met anyone who knew him directly that would talk about him. All I've heard is quotes from third parties and victims."

"That sounds about right." Sadie said, checking the fire and putting a little more wood on it.

"So, what was it like, being in the Van Der Linde Gang?" He asked.

"You are just full of big questions, aren't you?" She asked. "Still, I should have seen that one comin'. Alright, now…what can someone say about Dutch?"

Back in the past, Sadie was going stir-crazy in the camp. Since the incident in Valentine, Arthur and Dutch had declared that she wasn't to leave the camp until they said otherwise. The gang were already starting to put in work, and they didn't predict it would take long for them to attract so much attention they'd have to move on. Karen was doing some research around the local bank, something that they were sure would be a huge score being a livestock town. There was talk of a passenger train coming through stuffed with baggage and rich travellers and she even heard a few whispers about people planning something with the livestock. She didn't care about any of that though, all she cared about was the fact that the man who had taken everything from her was still out there and she was being grounded like a scolded schoolgirl. As much as she was desperate for her revenge, she also knew that alone against the entire O'Driscoll gang she would not last long, even if she could find them.

Her days became an endless monotony, waking up, chopping vegetables, cooking, serving up meals, going to sleep, waking up, chopping vegetables, cooking, serving up meals…the routine blurred one day into another to the point she was starting to forget there was anything else. Charles went out hunting, and although she had heard him asking to take her with him a few times, after a while he stopped asking when it became clear Dutch was not letting up on his decree that she was to remain in the camp.

Any time she wasn't working with Pearson, she spent her time cleaning and maintaining her weapons to ensure there would not be a repeat of the backfire incident. The revolver Arthur had brought her from the O'Driscoll place was almost new, no doubt having been recently lifted from an unfortunate victim, and it certainly a lot better than what she had. The repeater…there was only so much she could do with. She did make a point of sitting opposite the horse station, cleaning and maintaining the weapons or sharpening her knife where Kieran could see her, all with her eyes locked on him as she did so, wordlessly telling him that for now, Dutch was the only thing stopping her from killing him. Surprisingly though, Dutch did stop by Kieran and speak with him on occasion, asking how his new bed was, what he was doing with the horses, asking for tips on his own horse The Count and even once or twice bringing him coffee or offering him cigarettes.

Dutch stopped by everyone though. Over her time in the camp, Sadie started to see the way he was, and understand how he assembled this group who were fiercely loyal to him, and to each other. While Hosea might have been smarter, and quicker with a con than Dutch, there was simply no doubting Dutch was the leader. He had so much more than just a sharp mind, a honeyed tongue and a strong hand when it was needed. He had a gift, a gift for finding the broken and the lost.

The one benefit of spending so much time around the camp was that she had plenty of time to speak to and listen to the others, who would all stop by to check on her. Bill, she already knew because Dutch told her, was a veteran, who he found on the streets trying to steal what little money he could as he lurched from one drink to the next. He was strong, resilient, but when his life had lost all direction and meaning, Dutch gave him that. Javier had been some kind of freedom fighter in Mexico before being forced to flee when the price on his head grew too high for him to stay anywhere near a civilised settlement. Alone in a strange land with no money and no grasp of the local language, Dutch had taught him not only how to speak English, but read and write it too and given him a way to earn all the money he'd ever need. Even Mary-Beth, possibly the least threatening and most cheerful person she could possibly imagine meeting had been found being chased by a bunch of men only for them to discover her bag full of wallets and watches. A pickpocket was only good so long as they remained anonymous, once people knew who they were, their time grew short. Dutch had given her a family to get lost in.

John and Arthur were runaways who'd been found as children, Abigail had been a prostitute…Dutch certainly had a way of seeing the potential in people and what they needed to make the most of their gifts. All he asked in return was that they were loyal to the family, something that was only too easy for them considering most of them now faced the noose in at least a few places. Karen had once cheerfully referred to them as the family of bastards and lost souls. It was somewhat hard to argue with that point of view, and like a minister with his flock, Dutch took the lost, the broken and the lonely and formed a family.

The family was so strong, there was nothing they wouldn't do for a lost brother or sister. She still didn't know what went down in Blackwater other than something so awful that they knew they would never be able to return but when word reached them that one of their number who had been lost in the city that was a place of certain death for them all, Arthur, Javier and Charles rode out without a second thought. The unusual bright spot in the tedium of the camp life was a party thrown when bloody, wounded and exhausted, they rode back in with a young Irishman by the name of Sean.

Sean was…like that little brother that everyone loved, but nobody really liked that much. He talked incessantly and he had a way of rubbing everyone up the wrong way. Within only a couple of hours of returning to the camp he had been threatened, hugged, yelled at, hugged, punched, hugged and if the fact that she saw Karen and Sean disappear into John's tent for a couple of hours during the party was anything to go by…more besides. She figured it was probably best that she didn't tell John and Abigail what had happened in their tent, Sean had only just got back after all, the last thing he needed was to face John's wrath when found out.

Sadie watched as Sean and the others sat around, singing with considerable amounts of drinks. Even Kieran, who like Sadie had never even met him was joining in. Charles sat with her.

"You're not joining them?" He asked. She just shook her head.

"I can hear Sean from here." She told him. "I'm a little surprised I couldn't hear him from Blackwater actually." Charles just chuckled a little.

"He's definitely something." Charles replied. "The first time I met him, I swear to God, I bought him a drink, punched him out, then bought him another drink in less than fifteen minutes. I still have no idea how he gets under everyone's skin like that."

"I don't find it hard to believe that." Sadie replied. Charles just held up a hand, before going to his baggage, picking up a repeater and handing it to her.

"Here, this will be much better than that O'Driscoll one you got on the mountain." He told her.

"Much better!" She commented, turning it over and checking the mechanisms and the breach. "Do I want to ask…?"

"One of the bounty hunters that was holding Sean." Charles told her. "They look after their weapons a whole lot better than the O'Driscolls. I saw this and figured thought of you."

"It's great, thank you." She answered. "It's just too bad I might never get a chance to use it."

"Dutch knows when he's onto a good thing." Charles told her, pointing over to where Dutch was patting Sean on the back and looking to him with a warm smile and a glint in his eyes as he made another of his famous speeches welcoming back his prodigal son. "Sean's had more reason to be kicked out of this gang than anyone I know and always gets brought back. Just keep your head down for now. Once Dutch is happy you won't put his family at risk, I'm sure he'll loosen the reins a little."

"Oi! Charles! Get your arse over here and give your lost brother a hug!" Sean called out, staggering over. Charles got up, and gave one of the most half-hearted, awkward one-armed hugs Sadie could remember ever seeing. He parted from Sean, almost shoving him away, before the Irishman saw Sadie. "Oh, and what's this? A new face!"

"Sadie, this is Sean." Charles introduced them. "Sean, this is Sadie. We found her on the mountains after a run-in with the O'Driscolls."

"Ah, the O'Driscolls, scum and bastards the lot of 'em. I knew an O'Driscoll once back home. He were a bastard too. No idea if they was related or if it's just somethin' about the name." Sean said, offering his hand to Sadie. Sadie stood up, shaking his hand. She was smiling, only for him to back off a little when he got a good look at her face. "Holy Mother, that's some scar, where the devil did you get that?"

"That was a souvenir of the O'Driscoll's too." Charles told him, starting to step forward defensively. Sean didn't seem to notice though.

"Dear God, that is some state they left you in." He said with a little hiss. "Face like that…Jesus."

Sadie looked to Charles, who just shrugged, before turning back to Sean and punching him full in the face. He stumbled back, before landing flat on his back on the ground. Everyone, including Sean just started laughing.

"Oh, I like her alright!" Sean laughed as Karen helped him up. "Come on, the Whiskey's waitin'! Javier! Play that song I like!"

The following morning was a little bit of a slow one for everyone involved. There had been a lot of alcohol consumed and everyone was slightly tender, but still energised in the morning to have their lost brother back. Despite the hangovers, everyone was upbeat and cheerful. Sadie went to Charles as he was preparing some arrows.

"Charles, you goin' out?" She asked.

"I was thinkin' about it." He told her. "Why?"

"Well, Dutch seems to be in a really good mood." Sadie responded, looking over to where he was clapping Sean on the back and smoking a cigar by the campfire. "I was just thinkin'…"

"You were thinking maybe if we go to him and suggest you come with me, he might be ready to listen." Charles asked her. "Sure, we can ask."

They were just heading over when there was a cry coming up from the edge of camp. Someone rode in quickly without even declaring themselves to the guard. It didn't take too long for them to realise that it was another prodigal son. Lenny was riding into the camp at an incredible pace and the fact he brought the horse right into the middle of the camp despite Ms Grimshaw's strict rules indicated his panic as much as his tone. Lenny and Micah had been sent to scout ahead when they left the mountains, but no one had seen or heard from them since then.

"They've got Micah!" She called out in his panic as he leapt off his horse nimbly and sprinted over. "Dutch…Arthur…"

"What's Going on?" Dutch asked. Charles put a hand on Sadie's shoulder.

"I'd say…"

"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "So much for the opportunity."

Charles went to get to his horse as Sadie watched the rest of the scene unfolding.

"He's been arrested for murder! We was in Strawberry and…"

"It's OK son, breathe…"

"They nearly lynched me!" Lenny told them as he doubled over, finally starting to gather his breath. "They've got Micah in the Sheriff's in Strawberry, and there's talk of hangin' him."

"Here's hopin'." Arthur grumbled. It did sound a little harsh, but from the little time Sadie had spent with Micah she couldn't find herself in much of a hurry to disagree. Her skin crawled just hearing his name mentioned, never mind being around him. Dutch reprimanded him for his assertion and there was a brief discussion. Arthur's reservations about Micah were well known around the camp. However, it didn't take long for him to agree that he would help Micah regardless of how he felt about him. Brothers helped each other, even if they didn't necessarily like each other. He'd done it for Sean and by the sounds of it, he was going to do it with Micah too. But first, he had another brother to help. Clearly still shaken, Dutch sent Arthur and Lenny to go for a few drinks in Valentine.

"Sendin' Arthur to drink in Valentine." She sighed as she headed for the Chuck Wagon and picked up the carving knife and some vegetables. "And he's worried I'll cause a ruckus."


	10. One in Every Family

Levin was awakened by the early morning movements of the local birds and the first light of the early sun. He couldn't deny that the material he was getting for his next book was dynamite, far better than virtually anything he could ever have hoped for, but that didn't mean he still didn't find waking up in a camp in the middle of the swamp was far from the ideal experience. That said, by comparison to some of the days and nights he'd spent with Calloway, Sadie was a complete delight of a travelling companion, her choice of night time accommodation notwithstanding.

He crawled carefully out of his tent, rather awkwardly figuring out how to get to his feet without ending up caked in mud from the swamp. Sadie was already awake, tending to the campfire, cooking up some meat and brewing some coffee. She smiled as she saw him.

"For someone who were sure he'd never be able to sleep out here you sure are a late riser." Sadie teased him as she flipped over some meat with her knife. Levin just chuckled.

"Exhaustion does have its uses." He gestured to the meat. "Is that…?"

"Breakfast." She said with a nod.

"I can't say I've ever had alligator before." He told her. Sadie just shrugged.

"When you travel as much as I do, you quickly realise meat is just meat. Eatin' a gator is no stranger a thought than eatin' a pig or a cow if you're hungry." She told him rather sagely. "Coffee?"

"Please." He responded. Sadie picked up the percolator and poured him a cup, handing it to him before pouring one for herself. "This is good."

"I usually get good stuff from the store any time I'm in the area, real pricey stuff." She said, chuckling a little. "I swear to God, there were a time I didn't give a rat's ass about coffee. If it were black and warm I'd drink it, but Hosea an' John an' Arthur…they was all real particular about their coffee. After a few months travelin' with them, I'd gotten a taste for it and now…I couldn't go back to cheap stuff if I tried. One time I tried and I thought I'd been poisoned."

"It is good." He told her, setting his cup down. "So, when are we heading back into the city?"

"You are just achin' to get out of this swamp ain't you?" She laughed.

"I just wanted to know if we had some time for you to tell me a little more about your story before we packed up." He told her. "You know, just something to talk about over breakfast."

"Sure thing." She said as she checked on the meat. "Now, where was I again? Oh, that's right…"

Back in the past, the days at Horseshoe Overlook continued to drag in. Sadie had lost her opportunity to speak to Dutch about getting to go out hunting again with Charles because of the drama with Lenny, and the time in the camp just made her more and more stir-crazy with every day that passed and every vegetable that she had to chop.

Lenny's return did at least get a little focus off of her. He'd narrowly escaped being lynched, something about some trouble Micah had stirred up in Strawberry. Absolutely no one was surprised to hear that Micah had caused a major ruckus in one of the quietest places imaginable. In order to calm Lenny down, Dutch had sent him and Arthur to Valentine to unwind, but that had ended in disaster too. The poor kid just couldn't catch a break, and one drunken night later, he ended up having to be bailed out of the jailhouse and Arthur was on his way to try and spring Micah from Strawberry before he could be hung.

The incident did one thing that made her feel a little more at ease though. After returning, Lenny was confined to the camp and restricted to guard duty. It seemed that Dutch didn't single her out for her actions in drawing attention in Valentine. He would hold the members of the gang to account whenever they were reckless or needlessly endangered the group, and while he would also do anything to get them back, as evidenced by the almost suicidal rescue mission for Sean which took them dangerously close to Blackwater and the fact he'd sent Arthur to Strawberry to get Micah back, he would then make an example of them and ensure they learned not to be so reckless.

Lenny was a good kid. It was a little strange to think of him as a kid, he didn't seem too much younger than her most of the time. A life on the run from a young age had caused him to grow up quickly and he was treated very much the same as any of the other members of the gang. It was sometimes easy to forget he hadn't even turned 20 yet. He'd been on the run since he was 13 after killing the men that murdered his father in a lynching. Still, for all the growing he'd done just every now and then he'd say or do something that would remind her that he was in fact still only little more than a kid. He might not have the same experience and world wisdom of Arthur or Charles, hell even Bill, but he more than made up for it with energy, vigour and an eagerness to prove himself that meant he was as strong a hand as anyone else in the gang.

It did, however, also show her that she wasn't being singled out. In a bizarre way, Lenny's restriction had shown that Dutch was treating her exactly like he'd treat anyone else in the gang. It was strange to think, considering that she had never really thought much about being part of the gang, most of her thoughts consumed with revenge for the loss of her husband, but as she turned the thought over in her mind, she started to wonder how exactly if made her feel to be one of the Van Der Linde gang. She didn't really know if she belonged anywhere now that the homestead was gone and Jake was dead.

Dutch would still approach those in camp, spending time with them each in turn, even her, and speak with them, hearing what their concerns were and soothing them with his honeyed words. He would play poker with Pearson, he would listen to Swanson as he mumbled drunkenly about whatever nonsense was bubbling up from his booze and morphine-addled mind today. He would run through ideas with John about…well…sheep of all things, she still had no idea what his plan was. Still, she couldn't help noticing everyone in the camp having kind words and well-wishes for Lenny, and just as with Sean, whenever a member of the family returned, everyone was happy to see them.

Or…so it seemed!

She was stirring the pot of stew, pulling away from it as she tried to keep as far from the smell as possible. Pearson's latest experiment was pungent to say the least. Bill had complained that his meal had been bland the previous day and Pearson had promised to spice it up a little. Shut Bill up once and for all had been the way he'd phrased it. Of course since Bill was as big as an ox and had the constitution of one to boot, she wasn't sure if Pearson's determination to humble him wasn't going to be in danger of killing off the rest of the gang. Everyone's attention was snatched by a commotion at the edge of the camp.

"Point that rifle at me again boy and what them folks was goin' to do in Strawberry will seem like a nice vacation!" Micah's voice rang out as he rode on into camp in flagrant disregard for Ms Grimshaw's rules on the horses. He leapt off, with a saddlebag draped over his shoulder and threw open his arms. "Well, what's a returnin' prodigal son got to do to get a drink around here?"

Everyone was staring at him as he awaited their reaction, but none of them said a word. Bill was just sitting at the fire with a bottle in his hand, completely ignoring him. John and Javier were standing, staring at him intently. The air felt colder than back in the mountains. Sadie had a feeling that none of them would have been too upset if Micah had opted not to return to the camp. Frankly she was in full agreement. Dutch came out of his tent, looking around the camp.

"Well, you hear the man, someone get him a drink!" Dutch said as he came over to Micah. Micah handed over the saddlebags.

"Now Dutch, I know I did wrong. I nearly got young Lenny there in a real spot of trouble, but you sent Arthur to bring me home, and I appreciate that." He said in a grovelling tone that sounded much like a school kid after they had been caned. "I didn't want to return until I had somethin' to offer, a way to make it right…that's why I got this from a banking stage."

Dutch handed off the saddlebags to Molly and smiled.

"Molly, put that in the tithing box would you my dear?" He asked, before offering Micah a cigar. "All is forgiven, my brother. Come now, tell me what those awful men did to you in that sheriff's office."

Slowly, but surely, everyone went back to what they were doing, shaking their heads and muttering under their breaths. She could swear she even saw John re-setting the hammer on his revolver, indicating he'd already cocked it, ready to use before he returned to his family. She watched as Dutch took Micah to the table and opened a bottle of brandy. Yes, it seemed Dutch was indeed the father of this family, the shepherd of the flock, even to the most wayward of his followers.

It didn't take long for Micah's return to show in the camp. Every family had a black sheep. For a while, it seemed like it was Sean. He was constantly getting told to shut up, sent on pointless errands just to get rid of him for a short length of time, or even at times being cuffed into silence a little more forcefully. Bill had fully knocked him out cold once over some perceived slight, leaving him lying on the ground in the camp while everyone just walked around him, on another occasion John tossed him out of the camp after finding out what he and Karen had got up to in his tent, physically launching him from the camp by the scruff of his neck before warning him the next time he went anywhere near his tent he'd end up with a face full of lead and reminding Sean he now owed him a new rug! But for all his bluster, Sean was well-liked in the camp. Micah, not so much.

He would swagger around the camp, reminding everyone how lucky they were to have a strong hand like him bringing home the bacon and reminding them all how much they owed him for what he brought into the camp, no matter how many times he was reminded he'd only just arrived. With the exception of Dutch, he showed no one in the camp any respect, and the only question in her mind was which of the gang would finally have enough of him and put him in his place.

"What the hell is this slop?" He asked Sadie one night as he took a bowl of the stew.

"The only thing anyone's makin'." She told him flatly. "If you don't want it, put it back and go eat somewhere else! I doubt anyone'd miss you!"

Micah just spat some tobacco-laden spittle down near her feet, before storming away. Karen came up to Sadie and shook her head.

"Just ignore him." She told her.

"I ain't havin' anyone talk to me like…"

"Hey, I ain't no shrinkin' violet that's for sure, but even I know rattlin' his cage ain't a fight worth havin'." Karen told her. "He's one mean son of a bitch. You don't want to get on the wrong side of him. Bad things happen when folks do."

"I ain't havin' anyone talk to me like that. I don't give a good God damn who he thinks he is!" Sadie assured her. Karen just sighed.

"Just…be careful is all I'm sayin'." Karen told her. "I'm as up for a fight as anyone here, but even I know some fights ain't worth startin'."

Sadie appreciated that Karen was just looking out for her. She had heard all the stories about Micah's nature. Wherever he went trouble surely followed. By the sounds of it body-counts in what should be relatively straightforward jobs rose significantly whenever Micah was involved. He seemed to delight in misery and aggravation, and no one in the camp with the exception of Dutch was spared his callous tongue.

Once everyone had finished with dinner, Sadie was tasked with cleaning up the dishes to have them ready for the following day. She welcomed the distraction so she wouldn't have to see and hear him for a little while.

She was just finishing up when she felt the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She could feel a presence long before she saw or heard anyone, and she almost instinctively knew who it was before he even said anything. Turning around, she saw Micah standing before her with a bottle in his hand. He sniffed loudly, before spitting on the ground.

"You know, I was just thinkin' about you." He told her.

"Really? Cause I ain't given you a thought." Sadie told him bluntly, picking up the dishes and trying to walk away. Micah barred her path.

"I'm a big believer in the system you know? You want to eat, you earn your crust, you get me?" He asked her. "Now, there are a lot of us here, an awful lot of mouths to feed, and I can't help thinkin' what everyone brings to the table and wonderin' if some people are pullin' their weight."

"Well, I'm sure what you have to say is real interestin', maybe someone'll listen." Sadie stated, again trying to walk away, but Micah stepped in the way again.

"See, the way I see it, there's a few of us bringin' in the goods, while a few others should really be doin' a little bit more if they want a share." He drawled in a sinister manner as he started to get a little closer. "Hosea's a bit of a wet blanket, but he brings in enough cash to make it worth keepin' him around. Dutch, Arthur, me, we bring in the goods. But some of the rest of you…I have to wonder what you're doing to earn your keep."

"So why are you talkin' to me about this?" Sadie asked him. He just smirked.

"See, way I see it, Mary-Beth…she ain't much of anythin' but she lifts enough wallets and watches to square a meal. Karen, she's got a way of releavin' men of their belongings and their senses that's real useful. But for the life of me, I can't think of what you bring to all this."

Sadie rattled the dishes to make a point. Micah just smiled.

"Now, we got Pearson for that." Micah reminded her. "And we got Charles for the hunting. So I'm wonderin' what else you can do. Far as I can see, you ain't done any swindlin'. You ain't lifted any wallets, so what can you do?"

"I can do plenty!" Sadie hissed. Micah just brought his face up close to hers.

"Oh, I'm sure you can." He told her. "I see you bein' all friendly with Abigail. She ever tell you how she used to make a livin' before she got all exclusive with John?"

Sadie had a feeling this was where the conversation was going. Abigail had been pretty open about her past occupation. Of course that was a long time ago, before Jack had been born. Before John. Micah brought up a hand, beginning to stroke the side of her face.

"Now, I'm not sayin' you could be a professional. Not sure how much anyone would pay for someone with a face as messed up as yours." He said, his thumb tracing the scar above her eyebrow. "But just as well I ain't too fussy, and the price is right."

Sadie was sickened by the mere thought of Micah, never mind the thought of actually touching him. She tried to shove him away, but he swiped the dishes from her hands and grabbed her, shoving her back against a tree. He pinned her there with a hand against her chest.

"If you're goin' to be takin' a piece of every dollar I bring in, way I see it I deserve a little something." He said as he drew closer. "Seems only fair."

His expression suddenly changed though, and his eyes grew wide as he felt something. Sadie looked deeply into his eyes.

"My husband and I used to do a lot of butcherin' on the homestead. You learn an awful lot butcherin'. Like, did you know that a pig is almost exactly the same as a man when strung up? All the organs and stuff are all in the same place. You know what one of the first jobs we had to do with the pigs was?"

She gripped the knife she'd managed to keep a hold of tightly and pulled it up a little further, resting uncomfortably where it was so he could feel it. Micah had to step back to prevent it going in.

"We had to spey 'em." She told him. "I was good at it too, real good! Got a lot of practice! So good that if the knife were sharp enough the hogs would barely feel anythin'. If I'd wanted, the first you'd have known was when you felt the blood runnin' down your leg!"

She pulled the knife up futher into his crotch, forcing Micah to back away.

"Of course, that's if I want it to be painless!" Sadie told him, before pulling the knife quickly. Micah staggered back quickly with a sharp intake of breath and a panicked expression. He felt his trousers being sliced and quickly had to check to make sure everything was attached. He needn't have worried, Sadie was just as good with a knife as she had said she was. He would definitely need a new pair of trousers for more than one reason, but his equipment was still attached, she'd only wanted to make a point so to speak. He just stared at her. "If you ever touch me again, you're losin' 'em!"

"Bitch!" Micah snapped as he pulled out one of his revolvers, planting the barrel against her forehead. Sadie could see the gun, she could even see him cocking the hammer, but there was no fear in her as he did so. She felt a cold fury within her, and her eyes burned through him as he started to squeeze the trigger. Wordlessly, she dared him to do it.

"MICAH!" Dutch called out as he arrived. Micah slowly re-set the hammer and lifted the revolver. Sadie could still feel the anger, but it wouldn't subside. There was no relief that Micah had removed the gun. If anything, a part of her was almost angry that he hadn't done it. She didn't fear death, she was ready for it. She was ready to join Jake. The only thing that would have disappointed her would have been losing the chance to avenge him first, but if that was how her story ended, she'd have been alright with that.

"Dutch?" Micah asked. Dutch didn't say anything about what he was witnessing. He interjected himself between Micah and Sadie, looking intently at him.

"Micah, I think our time here is growing short." Dutch told him. "I want you and Bill to head out and look for another possible camp. With those Pinkertons showing up so close I've got a feeling it would be wise to be ready to go."

"Anything you say Dutch." Micah replied, putting his revolver away. As he was about to leave, Dutch grabbed him and pulled him in close, whispering something in his ear. Sadie never did learn what he said to him, but whatever it was, Micah never said another word to her for a good long time. As he left, Dutch offered her a cigar, something he had never done before. Sadie politely declined, but he lit it up for himself.

"I'm sorry Mrs Adler." Dutch told her. "Consider your restriction to camp lifted."

He gathered up the dishes, handing them to her and patted her on the shoulder. Sadie still felt the anger at Micah's words and actions, she still felt the disappointment that he hadn't pulled the trigger, but as well as that, she also felt something else, a sense of belonging that she wasn't sure she'd feel again. She was now part of the family, something she had never set out to be, and she had the protection as such, even from one of their own. All that remained was for her to work for the family. Little did she know then that it wouldn't be long before she'd get that chance.


	11. Sadie's First Job

Levin removed his glasses, beginning to rub his temples as he tried to process what he had just heard. As a writer, many presumed he had heard it all, and that very little would surprise him. It was debatable whether fiction or non-fiction was more outlandish. Levin had experienced both in his time as a writer. While he was most used to writing biographies and non-fiction, such as his best-seller on Calloway, he had in his time dabbled in fiction under a pen-name to preserve his reputation for his main work. Even he needed a quick pay day every now and then and penny dreadful books were surprisingly profitable even if the writer did only get a very small percentage of the cover price. People all across the country bought those trashy little booklets by the wagon load from one end of the country to the other. There was a part of him that wished he'd never have to write the words "Otis Miller and the…" ever again but while he was getting material for his other books it kept him in food and lodgings.

However, despite the fact he had literally written a story where a cowboy no one was certain had ever existed fought an Egyptian mummy, he was still always surprised by some of the things he heard people had done in their real lives. Every day, there was a fine line, and only a few seconds or one decision could change what would otherwise be a non-descript day in a non-descript person's life into something that created a legend.

"You…you threatened to castrate Micah Bell, the Butcher of Strawberry?" He asked incredulously. The day Micah had broken out of his jail cell in Strawberry was still talked about now all these years later. The town's population had been close to wiped out, and it took some time for them to encourage anyone to come in, which was why despite the grand visions of the mayor, the town was still very small and had yet to be linked to the main railways. Sadie took a sip of her coffee.

"Thinkin' back now, I wish I'd done it too." She sighed. "Maybe if I had then more people wouldn't have…"

She looked to Levin and shook her head.

"I'm getting' ahead of myself. That part of the story comes a lot later." She said, creating a tangent in the conversation. "Anyway, we should be packing up. I want to get that pelt to the trapper nice and early. If I get in for him openin', he should have my new boots ready in time for dinner at Doyles."

Levin didn't have much desire to watch Sadie go shopping for new boots, even if it was boots made from the same alligator he'd just had for breakfast. However, if it got him out of this disgusting swamp, he'd have been happy agreeing to pretty much anything! As they started packing up, he thought he'd take an opportunity.

"So, Dutch really didn't do anything about…what happened?" He asked her. Sadie nodded.

"Whatever he said to Micah, I figured that were his way of dealing with it. He sure as shit never said anythin' to me afterwards." Sadie recalled as she bound up her bedroll tightly. "But back then, there were a whole bunch of other shit goin' on. Pinkertons were sniffin' around, things were startin' to get hot around the area. I think everyone knew we'd be movin' on soon. Even though I'd been told I weren't confined to camp anymore, I still stuck pretty close. Everyone were livin' out of their baggage, like they knew they'd be goin' soon."

Back in the past, Sadie was sitting with Javier at the edge of the scout fire, watching him as he worked with a knife, dragging it across the tip of a bullet. She watched on, taking in his lesson. He held up the bullet, showing it to her.

"You can buy all kinds of fancy rounds in the gunsmith, but if you can't make it out there, you can make pretty decent ammo yourself if you know what you're doing." Javier told her. "I even heard there's a way to make bullets that explode. Never figured out how that works, but one of these things? It'll make a nice little mess of whatever you aim them at. I use 'em all the time when I'm on a job."

Sadie was about to ask him something when there was a furore from the edge of the camp. Dutch and John rode back into the camp with a third man draped over the back of John's horse. Dutch leapt off his horse with an agility and energy that defied his age and his appearance. John's horse was covered in blood, and as he pulled Strauss off the back, it became clear he was the source. He was saying something in German, a language Sadie couldn't understand for the life of her, but the intent was pretty universal. She was perfectly certain he was swearing up a storm as John helped him down. He was clutching his leg, his hands slick with his own blood.

"Oh my God, Dutch, what happened?" Ms Grimshaw asked as Pearson and Swanson came to help John.

"Nothing good Ms Grimshaw." Dutch told her, beginning to point around. "Alright people, we all knew this was coming! Pearson, you and Swanson see to Mr Strauss, make sure the man doesn't bleed to death. Everyone else, start packing up, we need to be out of here soon!"

"How soon?" Charles asked as he put his sawn-off shotgun into his holster.

"It seems Mr Cornwall has taken our escapades a little personally. He has hired an army of Pinkertons and it will only be a matter of time before they come through here." Dutch answered him. "Charles, I want you, Micah and Bill to go out, make sure we weren't followed and if we were to draw them off."

"If we have been followed, I'll need to move quick, and this place might need all the guns they can get." Charles told him. "I'll go alone."

"Now that there is one of the bravest men I've known." Dutch said, looking impressed as Charles rode out. "Alright, Bill, Micah, Javier, we need every gun on the perimeter we can get in case we get some unwanted visitors. Everyone else pack up and be ready to move!"

"What the hell happened out there John?" Abigail asked. John took his had off and shook his head.

"I don't know, everything was going perfectly." John told her. "We had them sheep in the pen, I were just goin' to collect the payment and the next thing I know, a bunch of guys are grabbin' me and Strauss. Pretty soon the whole town is getting' shot to hell!"

"Well, that's just great John! That's just perfect!" Abigail snapped. "Where are we going now?"

"I don't know, alright?" John yelled at her. "Just…go pack up. I can't be doin' with this right now."

"YOU can't be doing with this?" She asked.

"No, I can't! I've got Strauss' blood all over me, I had a knife to my throat and right now I'm just…Can we please just do this later?" He begged her wearily.

"Alright, fine." She told him. "But don't think I'll forget about this!"

As she left, John kicked a stone away in frustration. Sadie went over to him.

"How'd the job go so bad?" She asked him.

"Cornwall." He told her. "The guy that owned that train we robbed up North. He came down on us like the Devil."

"Well, I guess it can't be the first time someone's been mad you robbed them." She offered.

"The first time someone hired an army to come down on us!" John grumbled. "The worst part is the money from that cattle is still in Valentine!"

"Wait, you're still worried about that money?" She asked him. "Really?"

"It were a lot of money!" John complained. "Maybe not as big as the money in Blackwater but…damn I was so close!"

"Well, it's gone now." Sadie told him. John thought about it for a moment, before a look crossed his face.

"Maybe…maybe not." He told her. "Give me a minute to change."

"Wait, what?" She asked.

"Well, not exactly." He said with a little smile. "I mean, they're lookin' for a man with wolf scars all over his face."

He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a little smile.

"But I doubt anyone's goin' to be lookin' for a woman." He told her. Sadie looked around to where everyone was packing up. She knew she should be helping, but she couldn't help thinking about what Micah had said. She was stuck in the camp, even when she hadn't been confined to the camp. Despite her desire to strike out at the O'Driscolls, none of them had ever brought her on any of their jobs. They were fine with her hunting but so far they still didn't feel comfortable bringing her on jobs for the gang. She couldn't possibly prove herself if they never brought her with them.

On the other hand, John was asking her to walk into Valentine with him only a couple of hours after they had turned it into a war zone. There was little doubt the town would be on lockdown by now and it would be crawling with law. The very notion of going back sounded more like suicide than anything else. She took a deep breath and looked to him.

"Alright." She told him. "I'll go with you."

"Just let me get changed." John told her, pointing to his face. "This right here is recognisable enough without walkin' into town lookin' like I just worked a double shift in an abattoir."

It was the dead of night by the time John and Sadie arrived in Valentine. They'd ridden out while the others were concentrating on getting the caravan ready for the move. They still didn't know where they were going to, but since no one else in camp had been told yet, John figured that they probably had a few hours at least before the big move, and he assured Sadie they had "a way of getting the message through" if anyone got held up. He wasn't giving her any more details than that, but as the only one that had been in the gang almost as long as Arthur, he seemed to know how things worked.

Just as they'd suspected, there were certainly plenty of law. John pulled down the skip of his hat while Sadie greeted a couple of riders coming the other way on the road. They were wearing suits and had badges showing prominently on their lapels. The idea seemed to work, they both greeted Sadie, but didn't pay too much attention to the guy next to her.

"Dang, there are a lot of marshals around." She commented.

"Not Marshals, Pinkertons." John corrected her. "These sons of bitches are bought and paid for by Cornwall."

"You weren't kiddin' about there bein' an army of them here." She commented.

"Up this way." John told her. "The auction yard is there, but there's no reason to tempt fate riding up to the front. The less people get a good look at us the better."

They hitched up their horses and dismounted. Although the town itself was in lockdown and Pinkertons were patrolling, there were still a few people at the auction house. Sadie followed John as he made his way over to one of the buildings, pressing himself against the wall as he looked around.

"Just as I thought." He said with a smile.

"There are people here." Sadie commented. "Don't that just make things harder?"

"If there were no one here then there'd be no point in us bein' here." John explained. "Think about it, if they'd taken the money to the bank there'd be no reason for people to still be here, but since we caused all that ruckus…"

"They've not had a chance to take the money to the bank." Sadie responded. "The money's still here."

"It'll probably be in the auctioneer's office." John told her. "I've been checkin' this place out for days. He was always comin' in and out of that building over there. Went in with money, came out with papers. His office must be in there."

Sadie followed John as he headed over, keeping low to try and stay below the level of the fences. Sadie couldn't help thinking of the time she was a kid and she was trying to sneak out of the schoolhouse with Jake. It had been a beautiful summer's day and they had no desire to spend it in the school when they could be spending it by the creek. She just hoped that this particular adventure would end a lot better than her adventure with Jake. While he had ended up getting six of the best from the headmaster, she somehow doubted the Pinkertons would deal with their sneaking around with a belt.

They got to the back of the main building, but John couldn't find a way in. The door there was locked, causing him to growl a little curse under his breath.

"God damn it, it's locked." He complained.

"Yeah, it's almost like they don't want just anyone bein' able to walk in and rob 'em." Sadie said sarcastically. John just glared at her.

"You been talkin' to Arthur?" He asked. "God, I thought if I brought you, maybe I wouldn't get…"

"John, look up there!" Sadie told him. She pointed up to where there was a window open. John just shrugged.

"Great." He stated. "Now all we need is to figure out how to get up there."

"Here, give me a boost." Sadie told him. John just stared at him. "You know, cup your hands and…"

"I know how to give a boost." John told her. "Just…a little surprised you know what that is."

"I can try liftin' you if you want, but I don't reckon that's goin' to end as well." Sadie told him. John just shrugged and got into position. Sadie stepped on his hands, then onto his shoulders as he straightened up, lifting her as high as he could. "You better not be lookin' up my skirt!"

"I wouldn't dream of it." John said as he pushed her up. Sadie managed to scramble up the wall, before tumbling in a rather ungainly manner inside.

"You alright?" John called up.

"Sure, just…really wish I'd not tried this in a dress." She muttered, looking around. "OK, this is the office."

"Great, now find the money and let's get the hell out of here." John told her. Sadie started rummaging around, trying to find any signs of cash. There were plenty of papers, lots of drawers but so far she couldn't see any money.

She finally got to the desk, where she found the drawers were locked.

"What's takin' so long up there?" John asked her.

"The desk drawers are locked." She told him.

"Oh, I guess they don't want just anyone…"

"Don't be cute Marston." She warned him. She heard a rattle as a knife was thrown through the window, clattering to the floor.

"Take that, stick it in the drawer and lever it open." He told her. Sadie picked up the knife and started to get to work. It didn't take long before she found a couple of lock boxes. She pried them open, beginning to look through the contents. There was more money there than she had ever seen in one place at one time. Hundreds of dollars just sitting right in front of her.

"Sadie, come on!" John told her. Sadie started to count out what John had told her they were owed, but as she was about to leave, she could only look at all that money sitting out on the desk. She'd only thought to take what John was owed for the sheep, but a thought occurred to her. She was already in the office, the money was just sitting there, and John had stolen the sheep to begin with.

She started stuffing all the cash into a bag, clipping it shut before tossing it out the window to where John was waiting. She started to lower herself out the window, dropping down into John's arms. She smiled as she picked up the bag.

"John, you will not believe what we've got here!" She rushed out. "There must be…"

"Hey! You there!" Someone called out. "What are you doing there?"

"Shit." John whispered. "Um…we were just uh…"

"Hands where I can see them!" The Pinkerton called out. "Pinkerton Detective Agency! Stay right where you are and…"

"Look, I'm sorry, we know we shouldn't he here." John said as his hand strayed towards his holster. Surely, he didn't think this was a good idea. A gunshot in the middle of a town on lockdown with an army of Pinkertons on the prowl? "The lady and I were just…lookin' for somewhere quiet to…well…you know, we're all adults here."

"Who are you?" The Pinkerton asked. "Let me see your face."

"Come on, is this necessary?" John asked.

"I said, show me your face." The Pinkerton said, unclipping his holster. "I won't ask again…"

John let out a whistle. It was only then that Sadie realised that the Pinkerton had been moving past their horses. John's horse kicked out, sending him flying. She couldn't tell if he was alive or not, but right now all that mattered was he had been taken care of.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" John barked as he went to his horse, hopping on. Sadie swung herself onto her horse at which they both galloped off. She heard a couple of shots ring out, no doubt Pinkertons that had heard the commotion, but before long they were out on the plains beyond the town limits. Her stomach felt like it was doing backflips, her heart was pounding, and she could hardly breathe, not until they were a long way from the town. John slowed up as he took a look behind them.

"OK, I think we lost 'em." He stated. "You alright?"

"I ain't been shot." She said, quickly checking herself over. "At least…I don't think I have."

"Believe me, you'd know all about it if you had." John told her. "We caught 'em with their pants down. They never saw us comin'!"

"That was…that was…the most…"

"Stupid?" John asked her. She just stared at him. She wanted to say that, but she couldn't bring herself to. Her heart was still pounding so hard she wasn't sure she wasn't having a heart attack. She just pointed back towards the camp.

"We should get going." She stated. "They'll be waitin' for us."

As they rode back into camp, all the wagons were packed up. Charles was discussing something with Dutch, when they all looked around. Micah was standing guard at the entrance they used.

"Marston, where the hell have you been?" Micah asked, before looking to Sadie. "Second thought, I bet I can guess."

"Shut up Micah." John told him. "I don't answer to you."

"In case you hadn't noticed Marston, we're in kind of a bind here." Micah told him. "Charles there's just found us a new spot for camp and we're headin' out."

"We'd have caught up." John told him.

"Now look, Marston, we're needin' everyone to start thinkin' about how we're gonna get some money, not how they're gonna get…"

Sadie just dumped the bag at his feet, spilling cash all over the ground. Micah and the others came, staring at the money before looking up to her.

"John and I just got the money from the auction yard." Sadie told them. "I reckon that should help keep us goin' for a while."

"I had my doubts, but…good work you two." Dutch said as he twirled his finger in the air. "Alright people, next stop Lemoyne! Hosea, you take the lead on this one. Let's move it out!"

Sadie packed up the money into the bag and handed it to John, before going to Pearson's chuck wagon. As she climbed up onto the seat next to him, he just stared at her.

"Thanks for the help packing by the way." He said sarcastically. Sadie though couldn't be bothered listening to him. Her heart was still beating fast, and she felt chills throughout her whole body. She was nervous when they went to Valentine, she felt her heart stopping when she thought they'd been caught, and absolute terror when the bullets started flying. Now, she was feeling an excitement, a rush she'd never felt before. For the first time in her life, she'd committed a robbery, and it had been one of the greatest thrills of her life!


	12. Clement's Point Break

Levin was grateful to be back in the much more familiar surroundings of Saint Denis as they rode through the city. It was still early, and although Sadie's errand to get a new pair of boots was hardly what he considered the most exciting of things to be doing, and something that would likely be cut from his final book, if it got him out of that God-awful swamp, he was more than happy to tag along.

Saint Denis by comparison to most of the area in the connecting states, hell, even in its OWN state of Lemoyne, was densely packed, and people were everywhere, even now! It had well and truly embraced modern culture and practices. Homes were now smaller and closer together, and the buildings stretched upwards instead of out. Twenty four hours a day, the streets were full of people, and even the act of riding around the city had become a lot more regimented. While people tended to observe the convention of riding down the same side of the road for a while, it was hardly a strict rule and outside the city people would often start using whatever part of the road they damn well pleased. In the city though, it was more of a necessity since the streets were so busy hitting other horses, coaches, citizens and even trollies was a very real danger.

They arrived at the marketplace on the edge of the city, hitching up their horses to nearby hitching posts as Sadie lifted the pelt off the horse, draping it over her shoulder. She just gestured him inside.

"This feller right here does lots of good work. Whenever I need somethin' special done, I always come here." She told him as they walked into the marketplace. They came up on the stall, which was covered, heaped high with all sorts of pelts and skins of virtually every sort that anyone could ever dream of. They ranged from the mundane and common cattle leather through to more exotic and decorative pelts like badger and even skunk pelts, (though Levin still never really understood why someone would want to walk around with a skunk pelt on their head) to some he had frankly no hope of ever identifying. The trapper's face lit up as Sadie approached.

"Ah, always nice to see a return customer, especially when bringing such a fine skin." He said as he came out, taking it from her and inspecting it thoughtfully. "Oh...oh yes, this is just fine work as usual, almost as good as mine. If you ever get fed up of hunting bounties..."

"Nah, I don't think that's ever likely to happen." Sadie chuckled. "My boots are by their best..."

"Yes, that I can see." He said, tutting as he looked to them. "You see what happens when you buy from less reputable traders."

"I was wonderin' if you could do somethin' for me." Sadie replied, kicking off her boots casually.

"Well, wonder no more. I can do fine work with this." He told her as he threw the skin over his shoulder and took her boots so that he could get the measurements he needed. "This'll be a few hours' work..."

"Don't worry; I'm not on a tight timetable." She assured him.

"Then if you pay for a belt and a pair of holsters, let me throw in a bandolier on the house." He told her with a smile. "I always like to throw in a little something extra for my favourite customers."

"Thank you kindly." Sadie responded as she walked towards the nearby fountain. Levin joined her as she pulled off her duster and draped it over the edge of the fountain before sitting down. She wiped some sweat from her brow, before fetching a canteen, taking a drink. She offered it to Levin, who politely declined. She just shrugged.

"You know, I spend a lot of time down here, a lot more than I ever thought I would." She said, looking around. "I swear, I was so used to the cold up in the mountains, comin' down here the first thing I noticed was how God Damned hot it was. If I'd come down here when Jake were still alive, I reckon we'd probably 'a done a quick turn on our heel and headed right back to the mountains before we melted."

"It is hot." Levin agreed.

"I still remember when I first came down here." She told him.

"Oh...oh yes, the gang came to Saint Denis for a time didn't they?" Levin asked. She just chuckled.

"Oh yeah, they hit this town alright." She chuckled. "But that weren't our first experience in Lemoyne. When we first got here, we spend most of our time around Rhodes."

"Rhodes?" He asked, beginning to check some notes. "I...I don't really remember hearing much about the gang around Rhodes."

"You probably wouldn't. But we were there." She assured him. "And trust me; the area weren't the same afterwards. You're welcome for that by the way!"

Levin just looked at her curiously as she prepared to tell the next section of her story.

The wagon trail rolled south, and the further south they went, the hotter it got. By the time they got to the dried out creek that acted almost as a spiritual border between The Heartlands and Lemoyne, even though the actual border was a little further on, the air was starting to get a little thicker. There was also a distinct atmosphere that was starting to build up on the journey, one she hadn't noticed on the journey from the mountains. Everyone was happy to leave the mountains, but this move was being met with more than a little more of a divided feeling.

Tilly and Lenny were noticeably quiet, something that Sadie wasn't too surprised about. She didn't claim to know much about Lemoyne, but she did know that it was very much on the front lines of the Civil War back in the day. While that war had been over for decades now, she had heard from one or two accounts that there were still some people that never really left it behind and old feelings still ran pretty deeply. Tilly was noticeably very nervy, and stuck close to the others the whole way. Sadie couldn't recall seeing her stray more than a few feet from any of the men or Karen the entire journey. Lenny though, he seemed to just be quiet, intense, and if anything he always seemed a lot angrier than she could remember seeing him. Although he was an outlaw of many years by the time she met him, he did always have a certain joy about him that was quite endearing, but heading down here, he became a lot more guarded and alert. Although Sadie had heard of the awful things people had experienced, she couldn't claim to have seen much of it as she and Jake had lived in relative seclusion for a long time. It wouldn't be long before she would see firsthand that nothing could prepare her for the truth of how deeply ingrained some attitudes and prejudices could be.

"All I'm sayin' is if we went with our site, we'd be here by now!" Bill whined as they crossed the creek. For such a big, monstrous looking man, he could get surprisingly childish when he didn't get his way. Although he was a man who'd lived a life full of violence, and was large enough that the only things Sadie could still remember thinking about him to this day was how he stood over everyone she had seen by a big margin and had hands that she swore looked like they could cave in skulls if he took a mind to do so, he would whine like a child if people started to question him. He was a strong gun, that wasn't in doubt, but he did like to think he had it in him to be a leader...and he seemed to be the only one with that idea.

"Yeah, and like I said, we'd be sitting ducks! Look at this place, you can see for miles!" Charles responded.

"Exactly, we can see folks coming..."

"And all those hills? Anyone approaching would have high ground most of the way!" Charles told him.

"I have to agree." Hosea said, snapping the reins on the horse pulling his wagon. "This site is just..."

"Oh, what a surprise! You side with the new meat instead of one of the men that's had this gang's back for years!" Bill snapped.

"No, I side with the man that has the best point! Setting up camp here would be stupid!" Hosea told him flatly.

"But Micah said..."

"And that just confirms my suspicions it's a bad idea." Hosea interrupted him, causing Charles to let out a booming laugh. Charles and Micah did not appreciate this in the slightest.

"Hey, we were asked to find a spot..."

"And you picked a spot that would be next to impossible to defend." Charles told them, shaking his head in disbelief. "No wonder Custer lost Bighorn."

"And what would you know about that?" Bill snapped, reaching for his gun. It was a little bit of a sore point for him. Not because he was there, Little Bighorn was long before Bill's time in the army, but from what little Sadie had learned in the camp, he had been part of a campaign against natives, and it had certainly affected his view of the world. Charles was about to go for his sawn-off when Dutch rode up.

"Gentlemen! I think we have enough problems without all of this!" Dutch told them. "Bill, I trust your judgement on a number of things, but you have to admit, when it comes to the land, Charles here has never steered us wrong in all these months has he?"

Bill didn't answer in any clear way, kind of a grumbling grunt, but the fact he released his grip on his gun indicated it was meant to be taken as acknowledgement he agreed. Charles released his grip on the handle of his sawn-off too.

"Listen up people, we'll be approaching...what's it called?" Dutch asked.

"Clement's Point." Hosea reminded him.

"Clement's Point soon enough!" He told them. "From what I hear, it's got shelter, and enough hunting and fishing we'll be eating like royalty!"

This got a lot of cheers from the train. Dutch was like that, when he spoke, people listened. Such was his power that he could keep everyone from Micah and Bill to Lenny and Charles on the same page, no mean feat! He was their father, their teacher; their minister of sorts...The Gospel according to Dutch was a powerful thing.

They rolled through some forests, following Charles' lead, finally coming to their new campsite, finding Arthur there to greet them. Once again, they went through the astonishingly precision and quick process of turning a clearing by the edge of the river into a home community. Most of the camp seemed happy enough with the new spot. The trees provided cover from the road from prying eyes, and plenty of game; the river to their backs was just teeming with fish.

The heat was certainly something that took getting used to. By comparison to the mountains, it was hotter than hell down in Lemoyne, and the air itself seemed to be a lot more difficult to breathe, somehow thicker and uncomfortable. Tilly quickly ensured Sadie had more appropriate clothing for the heat, but it still was uncomfortable. The sweat, the bugs...she could find herself getting blinding, splitting headaches if she didn't drink a ton of water, but even with all of that, she was hopeful that this would where she'd make her new start. Having run one successful job with John, she was hoping that the men would finally take her desire to go with them on their jobs seriously. Unfortunately, the routine started up again and quickly she felt the frustrations rising again.

Days went past...chopping vegetables...the heat was intense and uncomfortable...boiling water...the camp was nice, but there was a lot of work to do to get it into the well-oiled machine Horseshoe had been...more damn vegetables...she wanted to go hunting, get out and explore a little...more water to boil. Javier heard about a lead and was looking for guns...more vegetables...It never ended, and with every day that passed, between the heat, the frustration, the God Damned vegetables...it all became harder and harder to see it all ending. Then...one day...

"Here." Pearson said, dumping some vegetables on her table. "We've not done a supply run yet, but that should still be good."

"More...vegetables...!" Sadie hissed. Her head was pounding, she hadn't had a chance to get a drink in a while, and she'd just watched the men ride out yet again without her. Even Charles hadn't offered to take her hunting in a while. "More...God...Damned...vegetables!"

"I've got some stuff from Charles here that should make today's stew..."

"More...God...Damned...Vegetables!" She growled as she looked up, seeing Dutch by his tent, looking at some papers. He was keeping track of the gang's activities, making sure no one was causing too much of a ruckus. He'd already put down an edict, a Commandment of sorts, that none of the gang were to cause trouble around Rhodes...ANY trouble! They weren't even allowed to draw weapons never mind pull jobs in the town. She'd even heard something about some of them looking to ingratiate themselves with the Sheriff? She had no way of knowing the truth, her mind was getting muddled now and the heat...the damned heat was not helping...and the bugs...another one bit her. She slapped the back of her neck, killing it and staring at it in her hands. Seeing the bug in her fingers, something inside her just snapped. "I ain't chopping...No more...GOD DAMNED VEGETABLES!"

She spun around, finding Pearson staring at her. She and Pearson got on very well all things considered, but right now, all she saw was him in her way.

"We all need to do our bit Mrs Adler!" He told her. "This is your job! This is what you're meant to be doing..."

"Say what you damn well please!" She said, snatching up her knife and brandishing it in his direction. "But if I don't get out of here soon, I'm gonna kill somebody!"

"And if you don't stop hissing at me, I'm going to kill YOU!" Pearson shot back, picking up a knife of his own. This did precisely nothing to calm the situation down. In fact it only made things worse.

"Come near me, sailor...and I will slice you up!"

"You put that knife down or you're going to be missing a hand lady!"

"What is wrong with you two?" A loud voice boomed as someone noticed the two people responsible for feeding the camp within inches of turning each other into fillets. Sadie could see Arthur approaching, no doubt to see what all the fuss was about, and interjecting before someone ended up dead. Sadie took her knife, driving it point-first into the table.

"I ain't chopping vegetables for a living!" She roared, glaring at him. She was still boiling with rage, but something in her told her to get rid of the knife. She did, however see the way Arthur was sneering at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry milady. Was there insufficient feathers in your pillow?" He asked her. She hadn't spoken to Arthur much, but he had always been kind and understanding when he did speak to her. To hear him take Pearson's side was like a slap, but one that showed her that her actions must be getting out of hand if he was taking her side.

"Look, I ain't lazy Mr Morgan." She told him, struggling to get her thoughts straight in her head. "I'll work, but not this!"

"Ain't cooking work?" He asked her. Sadie's brain felt like it was boiling in its own juices. Part of her wanted to tell Arthur if he felt that strongly about it he could always cook if he wanted to, but she still thought of him as a more reasonable figure. She took a deep breath...a couple of them before she could continue, and tried to explain.

"My husband and I, we shared the work." She told him. "All of it. I was out in the fields. I can hunt. Carry a knife or use a gun. But I tell you, keep me here...and I'll skin that fat old coot and serve him for dinner!"

She kicked herself internally. She was so damned close to explaining herself in a reasonable way, only to lose it at the last moment. She'd reached a breaking point of sorts, something inside her had filled to overflowing and now everyone was getting to see just what was in her brain.

"You watch your damn mouth you crazy, goddam fishwife!" Pearson said sticking a finger in her face. The red haze descended and she threw herself for him with every intention of snapping off his finger...and any other part of him she got her hands on, only for Arthur to wrestle her away.

"ENOUGH! Both of ya!" Arthur yelled at them, standing between them, in what was arguably becoming one of the most dangerous positions anyone could be in. That was when he said something she didn't expect to hear. "Well come with me then."

She stopped still, her head started to clear. Was he really saying this? Was he actually talking about what she'd been asking for all this time?

"You wanna head out there? Run with the men?" He asked of her. However, as he came closer, and his voice quieter, she could sense his demeanour changing. "So be it. But we do more than just hunting. We're hunted. And them things that's hunting us, they got guns of their own."

She knew he was trying to intimidate her, scare her off, make her re-think her insistence on joining him, but he clearly didn't realise how little the prospect of death scared her. For the opportunity alone to get to Tom, she would gladly give her life.

"I ain't afraid of dying." She said without a hint of doubt in her voice. Arthur seemed almost disappointed that his words hadn't convinced her to decide chopping vegetables really wasn't so bad.

"Good." He said, though his tone betrayed his disappointment in his ability to convince her. "You need anything Mr Pearson? Maybe me and Mrs Adler are going to take a little ride."

"Yeah, sure." Prearson replied, no doubt more out of a desire just to get Sadie away from him than anything else. He picked up a list, handing Arthur some papers. "Here's a list, and can you post this letter for me while you're there?"

Sadie and Pearson locked eyes for a moment. They both knew walking away was a good idea for both of them. Tensions had gotten the better of them. Sadie really didn't have anything against Pearson, he'd been good to her since she was rescued, but at that moment he'd just found himself in the unfortunate position of being in the way. She was already starting to clam enough to see that his own reaction was a lot more justified than she wanted to admit. She'd threatened to kill him, and he'd mostly just stood his ground on that front.

"Sure." Arthur said, taking the papers. He started heading for the wagon. "Come on Princess. Are you coming with me then, woman?"

She didn't like the Princess title, but knowing she was getting out of the camp, she was calming enough to realise that she had earned a measure of disdain. She followed Arthur to the wagon, and climbed up. She was starting to see the funnier side of the whole encounter by now.

"So, I've graduated from chopping vegetables to shopping?" She asked him. Arthur's expression let her know he wasn't in the mood.

"Shut your goddam mouth." He said a little abruptly. Sadie realised what she had said had to sound like and did just that. It didn't last long, pretty soon they would be having a much more enjoyable conversation on the way to Rhodes, but for now, she had gotten what she wanted...sort of...and figured it was best to quit while she was ahead.


	13. Welcome to Lemoyne Raider Country

Sadie and Arthur arrived in Rhodes a short time after leaving the camp. By the time they did, Sadie had calmed down considerably. She was well aware that her anger was completely disproportionate to the situation. Things had just kind of…built up. The heat, the bugs, the frustration of being promised again and again that she would be allowed to go out with the others instead of being cooped up in the camp and most of all, the constant, aching, burning anger inside her every moment of every day, knowing that the man that killed her husband was still most likely somewhere out there, his every breath an insult to Jake and herself had built up. Mr Pearson had taken pretty good care of her, tending to her wounds as best he could when she first arrived, and had just been unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when that final straw was placed and she snapped.

Arthur had been reluctant to let her read Pearson's letter to his aunt. Although most of the gang only really had each other, some of them did indeed have others that they had left behind. Friends, sometimes even family. They all had personal matters, a past that was entirely their business. For Mr Pearson, apparently it was an aunt that he still liked to reassure that he was still alive and doing well, even if his accounts of his adventures were a work of fiction that a Penny Dreadful author would be proud of! She couldn't really blame him for wanting his aunt, who given Pearson's age she imagined had to be getting on in years to believe that he was some kind of heroic figure that was living a good life full of adventure and travel. Telling her that he was entering his autumn years and was a cook that hardly ever left the camp was probably only going to make her worry about what would happen to him once she was gone. Still, she couldn't help laughing when she read how he assured her that he "had yet to take a wife, but that there was no shortage of suitors."

As they pulled up outside the General Store, Arthur started to get out of the wagon. He'd promised her he'd get her out of the camp, and he had, no doubt seeing the wisdom in getting some distance between her and Pearson to let them both cool down, but she still couldn't help feeling like a shopping trip wasn't much more than just humouring her. He did seem edgy, though there was probably an element of him that remembered the last time she went into a town she fired a revolver in the middle of a street and almost brought the law down on them.

"Okay, we're here." He said to her, looking a little nervous. It wasn't as though the revolver incident in Valentine didn't have its reasons. Tom was within a few feet of her, there wasn't a person alive that would have done any different in her position. Still, she couldn't help having a little fun with him about it. She pulled out her revolver.

"So? What's the plan? I shoot the shopkeeper while you…?"

"NO!" He said, putting his hand on the gun and shoving it out of sight before anyone could see. Sadie wasn't really sure what he was so nervous about. Looking around, Rhodes was very much the kind of area where everyone was carrying weapons. The men, the women…hell, even some of those she'd probably argue were still children were sometimes carrying guns. There were some parts of the country that took the whole militia thing so seriously they not only encouraged people to carry weapons but legally required any male over a certain age to be armed. While there was no such legal requirement in Lemoyne as far as she knew, she could probably be forgiven for thinking there was since she saw a kid that looked to only be about thirteen or so walking around with a revolver. "Are you insane?"

"I thought we was outlaws." Sadie said, struggling to keep her face straight. She had no intention of shooting anyone. As far as she knew they were a long way from the nearest O'Driscoll, and having never set foot in Lemoyne until now she didn't have any real reason to have any problems with anyone here yet.

"Outlaws, not idiots!" He reprimanded her. "We rob fools that rob other people. These folks, they're just tryin' to get by! So, you head on in there and you buy us some food to eat. And no guns!"

She could see the doubt in his eyes and realised he wasn't sure she was joking. She decided it was best not to push her luck any further and put her revolver away. She'd already been cooped up in the camp once on Arthur's say-so, the last thing she wanted was for him to be the one trusting her to leave only to revoke that trust again. She just nodded and climbed down from the wagon. He did seem to take her reassurance as he actually did leave to head in another direction.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"Checking the mail! Nothin' exciting." He assured her. She just smiled. On the journey from the camp, she had learned from Arthur exactly how the camp kept in touch with people outside of it. That was the first time she ever heard the name Tacitus Kilgore. Whenever the gang moved to an area, they'd instruct the local post office to expect to receive mail under the name Tacitus Kilgore. To the best of anyone's knowledge, there was no such person, but most importantly there were certainly no wanted posters floating around with the name on it. It allowed them to send and receive mail without any worries that anyone would alert the law to any familiar names in the area. She went into the store and started to look around.

For a store in a small town, it was surprisingly well stocked. While Valentine was mostly a livestock town, Rhodes was built up around what at one time had been plantations. Due to what some rather diplomatically called 'a change in the labour laws' as a somewhat euphemistic way of putting it, most of the plantations were in decline but there were plenty of farms, and one of the biggest businesses in the area was a tobacco field so there were plenty of people around but they were rather spread out to say the least. There were still a lot of people that needed to be fed though, which did bode well for the camp since it meant they would find it a lot easier to get what they needed.

"I don't believe I've seen you around here before." The shopkeeper said as he came around the counter to approach Sadie. He seemed like a decent enough man, genuinely curious to see a new face. She just smiled.

"I am." She told him. She tried hard to think of what Hosea always told them to say. Many places, especially small towns, got a little nervous whenever large groups of strangers suddenly turned up out of the blue. "I'm uh…with some others…we just got laid off when the factory up north shut down…"

"Say no more. We all understand falling on hard times." He assured her. "Rhodes is no stranger to difficult times itself. For a long time, there was almost no work and no money in the area. It took a long time for things to turn around."

Sadie just nodded without saying anything. She handed him Pearson's list.

"That's…quite a list there." He stated.

"Like I said, there're a lot of us." Sadie told him, showing him the cash. "We're good for it, but we've been travellin' a while and need to stock up."

"Well, I think I have everything here." He told her. However, he didn't really get to finish. He saw Sadie was looking at a hat.

"You know, we do have a fine selection of clothing in the catalogue." He told her, gesturing to the desk. "It's all in the back along with the changing rooms."

Sadie wasn't there to get clothes, and it hadn't worked out well the last time she went looking for an outfit. But as much as she was grateful to Tilly for lending her the clothes she had now, she never did feel entirely comfortable in them, and she couldn't help feeling like the men saw the dresses and couldn't get past that. She kept assuring them she could be one of them, but perhaps…maybe if she looked more like one of them. She looked to the money in her hand. She'd been sent for the groceries. Still, she didn't have any clothing of her own, and Abigail had said before that probably no one would mind.

"Mind if I take a look?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"Just in the back." He reiterated. "I'll just start loading up."

Sadie went through to the back, checking out the clothing that was available. Finding some trousers that looked like they'd fit her, she was already a lot happier. Riding was definitely a lot easier and more comfortable in trousers. She found some other things that looked like they would suit her a lot more than Tilly's clothes, and started to go through picking something out.

Before long, she emerged into the shop, wearing a pair of brown canvas pants, some leather boots and a yellow shirt. She slipped a brown hat onto her head and checked herself in the mirror. She smiled as she saw the transformation. She now felt a lot more like herself than she had in all the time since she had been rescued by the Van Der Linde Gang. Dresses were fine and all, but for the harsh country of the mountains, for working the land, for hunting, she needed something a lot more comfortable, hard-wearing and practical. She strapped on her holster and slid the revolver into place, checking the look one more time.

"Yes, this'll do." She said to herself. She now not only felt a lot more like herself again, but perhaps now that she looked more like them, maybe the guys would take her a little more seriously when she offered to go on jobs with them. She saw the door open and a couple of young men coming in. They were wearing uniforms…or at least they were MEANT to be uniforms, but instead they looked threadbare, oft-repaired and mis-matched. The colouring and style of them was also distinctly confederate.

The shopkeeper had come in from one of his trips to the wagon and saw them.

"Now, I don't want any trouble…"

"There'll be no trouble mister." One of them assured him. "We're just lookin' for a donation to the cause."

"Yeah, the Lemoyne Raiders need the help of the free citizens of this fair state." The other told him. It was the first time Sadie had ever heard the term 'Lemoyne Raiders' but it would not be the last by a long shot. They were a throwback to dissatisfied and disaffected people who had never accepted that the Civil War was over. They had begun originally as veterans of the Civil War but even in 1899 the Civil War had been over for decades. Neither of these men looked old enough to have even been born when the Civil War was being fought, never mind actually fighting in it. Still, for all their talk of ideals it wasn't hard to recognise a shake-down. Two armed men were in a store asking for money. The only thing they didn't do was point the guns at the storekeeper. The storekeeper just sighed.

"You know where the register is." He said in a defeated manner. "But you tell that Captain of yours that I've paid this month! I don't want to see no more of your kind demanding money for a while!"

Sadie just rolled her eyes. It was clear that the store owner was used to this. It sounded like it was a common occurrence. One of the two men noticed Sadie and started to come over.

"Now, what do we have here?" He asked. Sadie turned around to look at him. "Now, I don't think I've ever seen you in these parts before."

"I just got here." Sadie told him. She could see him eyeing her up and down judgementally.

"Don't see many women dressed like this in these parts neither." He responded.

"Well, I don't claim to be much like other women." She responded. The man just smiled at her.

"Zeke, I've got the donation." The other one said, pulling money out the register and stuffing it in his satchel. "Zeke, the Captain said get the donation and get back, come on!"

"You have yourself a nice day missy." Zeke said, tipping his hat to her. Sadie re-set the hammer on her revolver. Her hand had instinctively reached to it while he was talking to her.

"Sorry about that." The storekeeper told her.

"Those two look like they're barely wearin' long pants." She told him. "Why do you put up with that shit?"

"Because of those guns they were holding." He put down flatly, picking up another crate. "I value my life and my ability to open my shop in one piece tomorrow a lot more than I value this morning's takings."

Sadie just picked up a crate and went to help him load up. It wasn't long before they were finished and Arthur was on his way back from the post office.

"Okay, I'm just about done here." She told him. Arthur headed up to the front and started to climb up onto the wagon.

"Why don't you drive?" He asked her. Sadie climbed up next to him.

"Okay." She answered.

"Come on lady, get a move on!" He said impatiently. She got the feeling that Arthur wasn't especially fond of Rhodes, either that or he wasn't getting a good feeling from Dutch's latest plans. She'd heard someone saying that apparently some of the guys had run into the local sheriff and somehow been deputised, but that sounded insane even by the standards of some of the camp rumours. Sheriffs did have the authority to deputise whoever they liked but…Deputies? She couldn't imagine any reason at all that someone with the infamy of Dutch Van Der Linde would be able to remain hidden for long if they got that close to a sheriff.

"I like Sadie, not Lady." She replied defiantly.

"I know." Arthur replied as he lit up a cigar. "So, you get everything?"

"I think so." She said with a shrug. She hadn't actually checked, but since the storekeeper had said he had everything, she just took him at his word.

"And some…new clothes I see." He remarked as he looked to her.

"Don't start. I can wear what I damn well want." She snorted in response. She'd heard remarks like this a few times in her life, and she had much the same response every time. Arthur chuckled a little at her little outburst, more amused than anything else. "I told you. My husband and I, we shared all the work. I wasn't some little wife with a flower in her hair bakin' cherry pies all day."

"I don't doubt that. You sure look the part now." Arthur joked as he took a draw on his cigar. "Won't be long before you're smoking cigars and playing the harmonica."

"I'll have you know I used to love playing the harmonica before," Sadie started to say, before pausing, seeing the way Arthur was looking at her, "well, before my house and everything I owned got burned to the ground."

"I know…I'm really sorry about what…you know." Arthur said sympathetically. Arthur didn't talk much, but she could always feel sincerity in him when he did. "Maybe I'll keep an eye out for another one."

"I don't want no pity." She stated. "Just treat me equal and know…no one's ever takin' anythin' from me ever again."

"Just don't kill the camp cook, please." He said with a little smirk. Sadie almost laughed when he said that. Just then, they heard some horses coming up on them fast. Arthur looked around to see a couple of riders coming up from behind, one coming to either side of the wagon. Sadie recognised them as the men from the store. They must have seen them leaving and come in for a closer look.

"Hey there!" Zeke called out. Arthur could see Sadie's hand going to her revolver and gestured to her to stay her hand. He instead tried to talk their way out of things.

"Hey." He returned the greeting.

"What are you folks up to?" Zeke asked him.

"Just heading home." Arthur told him.

"You're in Lemoyne Raider country." Zeke told him. "You've got to pay a toll to pass through here."

"No, I don't think so." Arthur replied. He was still keeping things casual, but Sadie could see him pulling back his jacket, clearing his holster.

"You don't think so?" The other asked. "How about you pull over right now?"

"How about THIS?" Sadie yelled, pulling out her revolver and firing. Zeke fell from his horse, blood spurting from the wound in his skull. Arthur looked just as shocked as the other Raider as Sadie started whipping the horses. "GO, GO, GO!"

Arthur stood up on his seat, pulling out his revolver and saw off the other rider. He had a quick look around for any others.

"What the hell was that?" He demanded.

"They was gonna rob us!" Sadie told him. Other raiders appeared almost as if from nowhere. Arthur stood back up on the seat to return fire to keep them off, while bullets whizzing past forced Sadie to keep her head down and concentrate on the road ahead. She saw someone running into the road in a panic, not exactly surprising since there was a gun battle going on in the middle of the road, but as she was forced to swerve to avoid him, she ended up running the wagon right off the edge of the road and into a ditch. It would take them time to get the wagon back out, way more time than they had. She grabbed her repeater from the wagon and leapt off.

"Well, you wanted to see some action lady. Now you've got your wish!" Arthur said as he pulled out a second revolver and headed for the cover of some rocks.

Sadie knew all too well that this was the moment she'd been waiting for. There was no avoiding the issue now, Arthur didn't have a choice in the matter. She was part of this fire-fight whether he wanted her to be or not. She had been shooting for most of her adult life, and while it was mostly hunting, she had killed men before in her time. Not many, but she had done so. She already knew the secret was not to see them as people. They were not humans. They were monsters, monsters that would just as soon visit every horror on her that she had already experienced and swore she would never go through again. She fired round after round. Four, five…she stopped bothering to count how many of the Raiders went down before they started to flee.

"YOU BETTER RUN!" She snarled as she shot after the few that were able to ride away. Another of them fell from his horse as her round hit home. She turned around to see Arthur putting his revolvers away. "See, I told you I could shoot a gun, didn't I?"

"I don't remember askin' you to prove it!" Arthur said gruffly.

"Yeah, you better run you goddam cowards!" She yelled into the air after them, as though hoping they would come back. None of them did though. "I think we're good here Arthur. Nice shootin'. Alright, I'll drive us back."

"No, pass those reins here!" He told her, taking them from her hands as they climbed back into the wagon.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you've caused enough trouble already!" He told her.

"I'm fine." She snorted. Arthur took a moment to manoeuvre the wagon out of the undergrowth, giving Sadie a little time to catch her breath. She looked to him as he turned his attention back to the road back to camp. "We showed those bastards, huh?"

"Remind me not to get on your bad side." Arthur replied.

"And they was clearly plannin' to bushwhack us." She pointed out. Arthur let out a little humph. As much as he wasn't happy, he clearly could see now that the Raiders weren't likely to just let them pass without incident. Best case scenario, they were just going to rob them, forcing them to get more supplies. Given the number of Raiders that appeared as though from nowhere though, it didn't seem like they were just opportunists playing around.

"You did good, but that's a lot of mess to make near camp." He reminded her. "Let's just hope it don't bring anyone sniffin' around."

"Are you gonna tell Dutch?" She asked him. They both knew this was a redundant question. Something like that happening so close to camp, Dutch was going to hear about it whether Arthur told her or someone else did. What she was really asking was if he would once again ask Dutch to confine her to camp out of fear she would bring too much attention. He let out a sigh.

"Maybe, if he asks, but maybe not." He answered.

"So, who did they say they was? Lemoyne Raiders?" She asked, trying to change the subject before Arthur changed his mind. A 'maybe' on the whole question of getting her confined to camp was the best she was likely to get in the way of an answer.

"Yeah, somethin' like that." He replied, looking thoughtfully. She might not have gone on many jobs for the gang, but she knew there was a lot more to it than just grabbing a gun and running into the wilderness. Planning, preparation and information were the difference between a successful outlaw and a young gun who never lived long enough to be anything other than a young gun. "Anyway, don't you go ribbin' Mr Pearson about that letter."

"How dare you! I would never dream of it!" She said with a feigned innocence. She had no intention of bringing the letter up again. Even she knew that she had completely over-reacted when she snapped at Pearson.

"Of course, you won't." He said, sounding unconvinced.

"I have travelled widely, making no small name for myself!" She said, quoting one of the lines from the letter. Arthur could only laugh.

"I'm not giving you any mail to post any time soon. That's for damn sure." Arthur told her.

"I just want a peek in that journal of yours. The mind boggles." She replied.

"Not a chance." Arthur said as they arrived back in the camp, bringing the wagon up close to Pearson's chuck wagon.

"You didn't get yourself killed out there Mrs Adler!" Pearson greeted them as they arrived. Sadie furrowed her brows. Was it possible word had reached the camp already? "I'd love to say I've missed your refined conversation but…I'd be lyin'."

Sadie couldn't blame him. She knew she deserved that.

"I...I enjoyed myself out there." She told him.

"Yes…we ur…Mrs Adler did OK." Arthur assured him.

"At shopping?" Pearson asked, arching an eyebrow. If Sadie had any doubt that he had heard about the gunfight, those were now long since over.

"Yes, at shopping." Arthur replied as he pulled a crate down off the wagon.

"Thank you, Mr Morgan." Sadie said, giving him a little smile. She didn't just mean for the trip, she meant for everything. Getting her out of the camp, separating her and Pearson before things got out of hand, giving her enough time to think to realise it wasn't really him she was angry at. He just smiled.

"Don't mention it." Arthur said with a little wink. "I would ride with you again, Mrs Adler, if you'd ride with me."

"Maybe." She chuckled. "If you can prove you can handle yourself." Arthur just laughed.

"Well, they say I lack finesse, but…I ain't afraid of gun smoke." He assured her.

"We've got this Arthur. You've already done me a big favour today." Pearson said as he continued to unload the wagon. "Okay Ms High and Mighty and…uh…nice pants by the way."

Sadie just smirked. She did deserve that, and since she'd threatened to kill him, all things concerned Pearson was letting her off very lightly.

"Oh, shut up." She said in a half-hearted way.

As they continued to unload and prepare dinner, a little way off, Sadie could see Sean standing, leaning against a tree and staring at her, a bottle of whiskey in his hand. She knew it had been a while since he'd been on a job. He smiled and tipped his hat in her direction, gave her a wink and a little smile before taking a slug from his bottle and walking away. She just shook her head and got back to work. Sean was always something of the camp clown.


	14. Beggars Can't be Choosers

Sadie took a long swig from her canteen as she watched the trapper working on her boots. She gestured to him and smiled.

"You know, no matter how many times I come here, I swear it's like magic watchin' him work." She said as he started to shape the alligator skin. "It's like for ages it just looks like a big ol' piece of leather like a blanket and then all of a sudden poof, it starts lookin' like a boot. It's like magic."

"It is quite remarkable." Levin agreed, noting the way the Trapper had been stretching and shaping the pieces he'd cut from the hide over a tool. The skin was now indeed starting to take shape, and where at once it was just a large, rolled up sheet, now it was starting to look like a boot. It still had some way to go but he could see it taking shape. "I suppose any business is like that."

"The funny thing is, so many people just look at other people's jobs from the outside and think it's so easy, but they become real defensive about their own work because they know what goes into it." Sadie carried on with her thought. "I don't know about you, but for long enough, whenever I looked at a tree, all I saw were a tree. But to a carpenter it can become a house or a bed or a table. I look at a piece of metal and it's just that but…"

She pulled out her revolver, inspecting it and smiling.

"Well, people can do pretty amazing things with metal." She answered, putting her gun back in the holster. Levin just smiled and nodded.

"You know, I guess I never thought about it that way." He replied as he considered what she had said. "There are people that think I just sit down and start writing but I tell you, if it was that simple there'd be so many writers that no one would do anything else and the world would be a terrible place."

"No more boots for a start." Sadie just chuckled. "You know, just the same way I used to look at a tree and just see a tree, I used to hear about folks robbin' and think it was just some asshole stickin' a gun in someone's face and sayin' 'give me the money'."

"It's not?" Levin asked her. She just shook her head.

"If it were that simple there'd be a lot more folks doin' it." She assured him. "Runnin' in, stickin' a gun in someone's face is a damn good way of endin' up havin' a very short career as an outlaw…and I'd be out of a job."

She looked away as she took another swig from her flask.

"It's really surprising how much plannin' goes into a good job." She stated. "But you learn pretty damn quick."

Back in the past, the following few days saw a few small changes around the camp for Sadie. While most of the details were still open to conjecture, with some pretty wild and fantastic versions of events being overheard at the campfire, the one thing that everyone now knew was that Sadie officially had the Arthur Morgan seal of approval in a gun fight. That meant her stock in the camp was a whole lot higher!

She still helped Pearson at times with the cooking. She still felt a little badly about the fact all this had come about because she had threatened to skin him and serve him for dinner, but that was no longer her only duty. Now, she took turns at standing guard over the camp. Karen was the only other woman in the camp that did guard duty, but now people saw Sadie hanging around with a gun, she was starting to be taken a little more seriously. There was, however, just one thing missing.

Although she had now helped John on a job and gotten through a shoot out with the Lemoyne Raiders, who they had now heard were some kind of local militia that seemed to be under the mistaken belief the Civil War had not only never ended, but that it was still possible to win, there were still none of the others coming to ask her to go on jobs with them. She would see them making plans, but when they rode out, she was always left behind. She was in the unfortunate position of having proved she could handle a gun, but because none of them had been on a job with her, they doubted if she would be up to the task, but since no one took her, she didn't get the chance to prove she could. For a while she was happy enough to just not be spending all day chopping damn vegetables, but after a while, she was once again wondering if she'd ever progress.

Hosea, Dutch and…for some unknown reason, Micah, were working on some grand scheme involving some ancient blood feud between the two most prominent families in the area. The Braithwaites, an old plantation family who had taken to moonshining and deals with the Lemoyne Raiders as a result of their old fortune and business being destroyed by what they called "a change in labour laws", and the Grays, the owners of the local tobacco fields who had also gained some political favour by, if rumours were to be believed, siding with the Union in the Civil War. The local sheriff was a Gray, and apparently, he had indeed deputised Dutch, Arthur and Bill. Of course, rumour had it he also had more than a little bit of a taste for moonshine so it wasn't as though anyone could be too surprised someone with the quick wit and silver-tongued charm of Dutch could play him like a fiddle.

Arthur, Bill, Karen and Lenny had all ridden out, saying something about a job back in Valentine, so the camp was unusually quiet one of the days she was on watch. Sadie rested her repeater up against a tree as she sat on a stool, picking up a canteen and taking a swig. That was when she noticed a little way off, Sean sitting at a table with a bunch of bottles. He took a swig from a whisky bottle, putting it down as he did something with the others. Sadie was about to head back on watch when she saw him waving and gesturing her to come over. She had to look around to see if he was signalling anyone else, but there was no one behind her. She picked up her repeater and headed over.

"Fine mornin' don't ya think?" Sean asked as she arrived.

"It's OK." Sadie answered, looking to the table, which was full of whiskey bottles. "You fixin' to drink all that? That's a little much even for you!"

"Ah, I ain't fixin' to drink it." Sean assured her. "I heard about that little barney you got into with Arthur."

"I think everyone's heard about that." Sadie responded.

"And yet, here you are, standin' around in camp doin' nothin' because them other men in the camp won't take you with them." Sean said as he lit up a cigarette, sitting back and looking to her. "It's a crime I'm tellin' ya, a downright sin."

"You got a point you're tryin' to make?" Sadie asked, becoming impatient. All Sean was doing was going over her frustrations in the camp. He just held his hands up defensively.

"Whoa, hold your horses there love. I'm on your side, I'm the one that's sayin' you should be doin' more than just wanderin' around here in case someone wanders in this way." He said, before taking a drag on his cigarette. "You know, you and I are not so different."

"Really?" Sadie chuckled. "This ought to be good, alright, in what way are we the same?"

"The others are intimidated by us." Sean told her. Sadie was taken aback, and had to try hard not to just fall over laughing. "I'm serious! It's a tale as old as time. Arthur, John…they're getting' on a bit. Bit long in the tooth, and they see a strong young cub up and comin' and they just worry I'll take their place."

Sadie just looked away so he couldn't see that she could hardly keep a straight face hearing him say this.

"Now you, everyone heard what you did. You took down fifty Lemoyne Raiders by yourself!" Sean told her. There had been a fair few, but fifty? That was a complete exaggeration by anyone's imagination. If she and Arthur had killed anything like fifty people there was no way they wouldn't have brought the law down on them like a ton of bricks, even if it was Lemoyne Raiders. "The guys hear that and they know, you're a strong gun, maybe stronger than them. They're worried you'll show 'em up. Now me, I'm not so insecure. I just see a talent going to waste."

"Really?" She asked. "And what exactly would you do about it?"

"Why do you think I've got these babies?" He asked her, gesturing to the bottles. Sadie just shrugged.

"Because you're plannin' on drinkin' away what few brains you got left?" She asked him. He just laughed.

"These ain't for drinkin' love." He told her. "These are for a little job I have! And I want you to be a part of it!"

"Really?" She asked sceptically. "What kind of job?"

"Now, Whiskey's great for drinkin' but stick a rag in nice and firm and you've got yourself a fire bottle!" Sean told her. "Light the rag, throw the bottle then stand back and watch the fun."

"So what's the job?" Sadie asked, picking up one of the bottles and inspecting it thoughtfully.

"I've been puttin' in some work, heard somethin' about a farmhouse just out past the dried-up creek we passed." Sean told her. "I was just lookin' for another strong gun with a lot of guts to come with. Toss a couple of these in the windows, flush the bastards out, then we sweep in and collect. Could be a good score."

"I don't know." She said, putting the bottle down. Sean had something of a reputation around the camp. He had guts galore, he was decent enough in a fight and he was certainly eager to do virtually anything for the gang. However, he was not exactly the smartest guy around. He talked a good game. Arthur had once said if he thought as much as he talked, he'd be the smartest man in the world, but things often just went sideways on jobs he was a part of. Arthur, John and Charles had all told her how he invited himself along on the train job and almost got himself killed failing to secure the baggage car. He was definitely a fun guy and people liked him, but they also tended to not be overly keen on taking him with them in case their jobs turned into complete chaos. "I get a feeling that you're only askin' me because you already asked everyone else and they turned you down."

"I don't see many people linin' up to ask you to go on jobs either love." He pointed out, crossing his feet on the table and taking a drag. "I just thought you might want to do somethin' other than starin' at that track into the camp or choppin' vegetables. Beggars can't be choosers, that's what me old man used to say!"

Sadie had to think about that one for a moment. As annoying as he was, Sean did have a point. None of the others were in a hurry to offer her jobs. Sean smiled as he could see he had gotten her to start thinking.

"Oh, there is one other thing. The bloke I was talkin' to about that farm. He told me that the folks on that farm aren't the original owners. Ran them off. Way he says it, the guy I was talkin' to said they was O'Driscolls." Sean told her. Sadie snapped around to stare at him, her blood running cold. Sean smirked. "I thought that might get your attention. So, what do you say? You in?"

Sadie didn't say anything, instead she just grabbed some of the fire bottles, heading towards her horse and stuffing them into the saddlebags. Sean seemed to get the message because he was starting to do the same. There was only one thing left to do, and that was ensure that guard duty was covered. Fortunately, just at that moment, Javier was walking back into camp, his fishing rod over his shoulder, whistling as he went.

"Hey, Javier!" Sadie called to him. "You mind watchin' the camp for a little while?"

"I guess not." He replied with a shrug as Sadie mounted up. She and Sean rode out, just as Javier handed his catch in to Pearson.

The ride took a while, and it was just a little before dark by the time they got to the farmhouse. Sadie and Sean got off their horses and took up a position where they could get a good look at the farm.

"So, what do you think?" Sean asked.

"It looks just like a farm." Sadie said with a shrug. "You sure there're O'Driscolls here?"

"It looks like a farm, but do you notice somethin' missing?" He asked. Sadie turned back to the farm and had a look around. It took her a while but eventually she noticed one very odd thing.

"Where's all the livestock?" She asked. There were pens, but no livestock! They were well into the season, so the farmers would have bought the stock, but it was a long way before the end of the season when the grown and fattened stock would be taken back to market. Sean smiled.

"You don't think an O'Driscoll could bother his arse rememberin' to feed the goats now do you?" He asked her. He started making his way down towards the farm house. Sadie kept low as she followed him.

They came around the side, where they found more evidence of the unseasonal and senseless slaughter. There were bones all over the yard. They hadn't even bothered to dispose of the bones, they had just slaughtered the goats and carved off the meat. They could hear the voices inside, and by the sounds of things, they were having a good time. It was difficult for Sadie not to think of the same sounds from her own home. Three days she'd spent tied up in her own basement. Three days she'd listened to their drunken singing and shouting. Sean saw her noticeably tense and put a hand on her arm to bring her attention back.

"Not yet." He told her. "We want to make sure we get all the bastards. Come on."

He grabbed a board and brought it over to one of the doors, wedging it between the door and the ground, securing the door. Sadie nodded as she understood. They wanted to make sure they got them all. Sneaking around the house, they quietly wedged all the doors closed. The last thing they wanted was anyone getting out of one of the doors unseen and being able to surround them. The O'Driscolls loved travelling in large numbers and using that to their advantage. As Sadie finished wedging the last of the doors, she joined Sean around the front of the house, where he was getting some fire-bottles ready. He gave one to Sadie.

"You sure these'll work?" She asked him.

"I come from Rebel stock lass." He said with a wink. "Burnin' down manor houses was our speciality."

He lit the rag on one of the fire bottles, offering a light to Sadie, lighting hers too. Once the rags were lit, Sean took a run up and threw his bottle straight through the window. There were yells coming from inside as the liquid fire spread quickly. Sadie launched her bottle in through another window.

"Come on our you bastards!" Sean called out, drawing his revolver. Taking up her repeater, Sadie watched as the front door, the only one they hadn't barred opened up. By barring the doors, they ensured there was only one way out. As the first of them came through the door, Sadie put a bullet straight through his forehead.

Sean started laughing, cheerfully taunting the O'Driscolls as they picked off those that made it out one by one. Sadie showed no such glee though; all she could think of was that these men followed Tom. They protected him. In desperation one threw himself face-first through one of the remaining windows.

"Oh no you don't! You ain't goin' nowhere!" Sadie screamed. "You got this Sean?"

"You kidding? This is fun!" Sean told her as she ran off after the fleeing O'Driscoll. She could only think about the night at her cabin. Arthur had told her that one of the O'Driscolls had run off. They had just let him go, thinking that it was unlikely he'd survive anyway. She couldn't help getting the nagging feeling that one was Tom. She now knew he had survived that night. Never again! She chased down the O'Driscoll, stopping only to take aim and with a careful shot put a round through his leg. He collapsed on the ground, screaming in pain. Sadie went over to him.

"You are going nowhere you son of a bitch!" She yelled at him, grabbing him and flipping him over. She levelled the repeater into his face, getting a good look. She was disappointed to see that it wasn't Tom. She had that face burned into her mind forever. She'd know it anywhere. She'd see it any time she closed her eyes.

"Please…please, let me go!" He begged her. "I'm begging you!"

"Begging?" She asked coldly. "You're…BEGGING?"

This only enraged her. The O'Driscolls had never shown her Jake any mercy. Never shown her any mercy. Now he was begging for it? She grabbed him and dragged him back towards the farmhouse, where Sean was putting his revolver away after finishing up with the others.

"I see you got the bastard then!" Sean said with a cheerful smile.

"I've got him alright." Sadie said, dragging him towards a tree stump. "But he's gonna wish he were dead soon enough!"

"Please, let me go." The O'Driscoll begged her as she held his hand on the tree stump. She just looked to him.

"Now, how about you tell me if you know a man named Tom?" She asked him.

"Tom?" He asked. "You mean Colm's right-hand man?"

"Right hand? Now…that gives me an idea." She told him, forcing him to spread out his fingers. "You see, Colm's right hand? I want it! And if you tell me where I can find him, we can just leave."

"Uh…Sadie, we should probably be…"

"Shut up Sean!" She snapped. "But if you don't give me Colm's right hand? I guess I just have to start takin' yours."

She positioned her knife over his pinkie.

"Oh God, please…"

"Where's Tom?" She roared.

"I don't know anyone named…AAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!" He screamed out as Sadie sliced off his pinkie, spraying blood all over herself.

"JESUS!" Sean yelled as he saw this.

"You got nine left!" Sadie called out, before slicing off another. "Now it's eight! Where's Tom?"

"I don't even know the guy, I swear!" He cried.

"Let's just see about that shall we?" She asked, slicing off another finger. Sean started looking around.

"Sadie, I really think we ought to be…"

"Shut UP Sean!" She screamed. "Now, one last time, WHERE IS TOM?"

"I don't know!" He wailed. "I only joined a few weeks ago! I never even met the feller!"

"Then what use are you to me?" Sadie asked, pulling out her revolver and blowing his brains out over the grass. As she put her revolver away and turned to Sean, he was staring at her.

"That was…the most…" He stammered, before laughing. "I fuckin' love it! You are seriously messed up girl, but I love it!"

"So, what about the score?" She asked.

"I found some weapons out by the shed. Fair bit of loot on the boys." He said, gesturing around. "Seems they've been pretty busy around here. So, you coming?"

"Sure." Sadie replied, taking one last look to the farmhouse, which was now completely ablaze. They knew that had to have attracted attention. The law would no doubt be coming to check it out soon. "Let's mount up."

By the time they got back to camp, the first light was already starting to break. Sean and Sadie rode into the camp, up to the hitching posts. Sean leapt down from his horse.

"No need to despair your favourite son has returned!" Sean declared. "And I come bearing gifts! Karen? Karen, where are you? I've got somethin' special for you love!"

As they all parted, Arthur approached Sadie, stroking his chin.

"So, you went on a job with Sean." He commented. Sadie just put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, what of it?" She asked. Arthur gestured to her shirt, which was covered in blood.

"Looks like it went as well as any of his jobs." He stated.

"At least he were askin'!" Sadie answered. Arthur just shook his head and walked away. Sadie was heading to the wash basin to begin cleaning up. She could see Sean with his arm around Karen, recanting his exploits to Javier, Bill, Micah and Lenny.

"And here she is, the woman of the hour!" Sean said, waving her over. "I'm tellin' you boys, this lass is somethin' else. She were like a whirlwind out there! Swept aside everyone in her way!"

"Sounds like you had quite the day!" Karen said with a smile.

"Not as excitin' as yours I'm sure." Sadie answered. "How did the bank job go?"

"Like clockwork!" Bill said gruffly.

"Is that what you call a horse-chase over half of West Elizabeth?" Lenny laughed.

"We got the money, didn't we?" He asked, waving around a stack of cash, much more than Sadie could ever remember seeing. It looked like Bill's share alone could have bought and sold her old homestead a couple of times and still had change. That was before she even considered that was only his share. The rules of the camp were the camp got half the takings of a job and the other half was split between those that went on the job. The bank job had been split four ways! Sadie looked to Karen.

"Well, maybe next time I can go with." She asked. "Show the boys how it's done."

"I reckon that might be nice." Karen replied.

"Come on. I got to meet some Grays in town in the saloon." Bill said gruffly. "You comin' Javier?"

As they left, Lenny stood up and came over to her.

"So…Sadie…sounds like you did really good with that job with Sean." He said tentatively.

"I ain't dead." She said with a shrug. He just smiled.

"I've been followin' up some rumours about those redneck militia types you ran into." Lenny told her. "If…If Pearson don't need you tomorrow, fancy checkin' something out with me?" Sadie couldn't help smiling.

"Sure thing Lenny." She replied. "Let me talk to Pearson, see if I can spare a couple of hours."


	15. Learning The Trade

"From then on, there were never any shortage of jobs to do." Sadie said as Levin filled his pipe with tobacco and started to rummage around for a match. Sadie was quick to offer him one. He just looked to her gratefully as he took a couple of breaths while she lit the tobacco for him.

"You know, until then I never thought about what people did when they just went in and out of the camp. Sure, I knew they was out doin' jobs, robbin' folks…whenever they came back, they'd put stuff into the tithin' box, but until I started goin' with them? I never knew exactly how much went into it all." She told him. "But I were learnin', and if I don't mind sayin' so, I were a pretty quick learner."

Back in the past, Sadie was quickly finding word about her starting to spread and more and more people were starting to approach her for an extra pair of hands on their jobs. Despite the number of people in the camp, with so many irons in the fire and the constant threat of the Pinkertons and the need to be ready for when they next moved on, there was always someone who could do with help.

Dutch, for the most part, was busy working the Grays. As a newly anointed deputy of Sheriff Gray, he was spending most of the time he wasn't in camp in and around the Sheriff's office. Micah…she really didn't know where he was going most of the time, though if she was honest, she didn't care either. She was just glad to have him out of her face. While Dutch was concentrating on the Grays, he could hardly be seen sniffing around Braithwaite Manor, so that was where Hosea was spending most of his time, charming and schmoosing with the matriarch of the family, Catherine Braithwaite. Occasionally he would ask one of the girls to accompany him, not so much the guys but on the rare occasions she tagged along she quickly figured out why.

One of the things she learned quickly was how differently everyone did things. Hosea was a con-artist primarily, she already knew that, but he was something of an artist with it, a real master of human perception and the way they thought. He was a consummate showman, constantly keeping people looking his way while the real action was happening sometimes as little as a few inches away from the mark. It was like one of those guys that relieved gullible tourists of their money with the ball game or Chase the Lady but on a grander scale.

Whenever he took one of the women with him, he would generally ask them to slip in the back and act like a servant. Those big houses had so many no one even noticed a new face around the house. Sadie didn't take this role generally, something she was grateful for. As she put it, she'd spent so long in Tilly's dresses she was damned if she was just going to jump right back into one now. Hosea always said she was more gifted in other areas and that he always needed someone to mind the horses or the wagon. She suspected what he meant was that she wasn't exactly lady-like enough to pass as a servant but he was just too nice to say it. Over time, she got to watch him work and it was a thing of beauty to see. He always said that to him the jobs he preferred where he could rob someone blind and by the time they noticed he was already long since gone and spending the money.

While it was amazing to watch Hosea quietly and brazenly talk his way into people's good graces, Sadie always knew her talents were with something a little more direct. Abigail and Mary-Beth were expert sneak-thieves. She had no idea how they did it but either one of them could walk down a street and by the time they got from one end to the other they already had a whole bunch of wallets and watches that they didn't have before! Mary-Beth had tried a few times to show Sadie how to pick pockets and lift valuables but Sadie found that it required a whole level of dexterity she never knew existed. She would always get seen or they would inform her they could feel the lift. She could see how much skill and flair it took, but it was pretty clear pretty quickly it was just something she didn't have that flair for.

She was good with a gun, and the gang would always need strong guns! Arthur and John were considered the top guns, and more often than not when they weren't running their own jobs, they were in high demand from Dutch or Hosea. If they had a spare few minutes, people were happy enough to have them along but Sadie wasn't quite in their circles yet. It was just as well the others had their own jobs on the go.

Smash and grab were the watch words. The Van Der Linde Gang was not the largest, but they certainly had some of the most talented and skilled bandits. They would set ambushes and lightning attacks, taking down resistance and getting people covered before they had time to realise, they were under attack. It didn't matter if a stagecoach driver carried a revolver if he already had two or three guns aimed at his head before he had a chance to draw it. Sadie was getting a masterclass by some of the best in the business.

Even though they mostly went along the similar methodology of surprise attacks, they all had their own individual stylings. Charles very much believed in the fast but quiet approach. His tomahawk, his knife and his bow all made no noise, meaning that he could easily use them without attracting too much attention. He had a sawn-off for when things got messy but for the most part, he was happiest when he managed to get in and out without too many loud bangs. Especially in open areas, gunshots could carry for a long way and as soon as the first shot was fired, the clock had started until the law showed up. Charles liked to get as much of a head start on that happening as possible.

Javier wasn't quite as committed to keeping things quiet as Charles, but he did make a lot of use of knives. He brought guns to get people to pay attention but he always maintained that everyone knew that gunshots meant law. Of course, once people were nice and quiet, with enough guns pointed at them to discourage anyone going for their own weapons, when they saw a knife come out, it made the threat all the more real. Knives were quiet, which meant that he was far more likely to use them. People were pretty quick to make the decision their valuables weren't worth their life when they were sure the guy with the bowie knife would actually carry out his threats. It made getting things like keys and combinations to lock boxes a lot easier to get.

Bill was a lot more of a brute force approach. He'd talked about his time in the military many times, and while there were still some in the camp that said he greatly exaggerated how much he actually did in the forces, he was still at least astute and aware enough of tactics to at least plan a good ambush. His temperament did mean he had a habit of jumping the gun a little and something always seemed to go side-ways on his jobs but he did most certainly make up for it when the shooting started. The one thing he didn't exaggerate was his skill with a gun and between his propensity for violence and his huge stature, a lot of the time when it came time to get the pay off, people were pretty quick to give him what he wanted. He was also pretty useful for carrying the loot. Between his size and the fact his horse was only just short of being a draft horse he could easily carry the pay-off from just about any job. Of course, no one really wanted to admit they liked having him along as a glorified pack mule.

Lenny was young and energetic. He was an accomplished outlaw in his own right, and he was already a strong hand in the gang. Like Bill, he did have a habit of jumping the gun a little, something that could cost him, but he had amazing reflexes and instincts that pulled him through whenever things started to get a little wild. Sadie learned from each of them in time and quickly the money was starting to roll in.

Stage coaches, homesteads, stores…it was amazing how quickly she started to see the opportunities they all presented. Whenever she looked at a building, she would be thinking about the doors, the ways in and out, which exits led to difficult routes. A job was just the same as a hunt. Simply running in guns blazing was a good way to end up causing chaos, but watching, planning, figuring out which routes guards took, how they were armed, when valuables were on the premises, it was like putting together a puzzle. If it was done well, by the time the law showed up, they were long gone. Sometimes, the most valuable tool in her toolkit was her binoculars.

"Go on, get our of here!" Javier said as he cut the horses free from an armoured stage, sending them scattering. "OK, the horses are away, you happy now?"

"Delighted!" Sadie replied as she rummaged around her bag for something. "Maybe if Bill had found one of these fellers had the keys…"

"I keep telling you, the bank doesn't work that way!" One of the coachmen protested from where Charles was keeping them at gunpoint. "There's a key at the destination. They don't give us access to the coach!"

"I never found a key." Charles confirmed as he shrugged. "It makes sense. They save money on guards if there's no way to get the money out of the stage."

"Just as well the local fence had a universal key." Sadie said, pulling out a stick of dynamite. She attached it to the door, right by the lock and lit the fuse.

"OK fellers, fire in the hole!" She announced, running and diving behind a nearby rock. The blast went off, ripping over the door, which buckled and twisted under the force of the blast. Sadie immediately ran to the coach, waving away the smoke and hauling herself inside. Charles and Javier kept watch for anyone coming.

"You nearly done in there?" Javier asked. "Those horses might be gone, and I'd like to be too before there are too many guns here."

"Gentlemen, we have hit the jackpot!" She said gleefully, clambering out, holding a large wad of notes. She gave it to Charles. "Here, I'll get some more…"

"More?" Charles asked. "How much is there?"

"Let's just say, Dutch is going to be VERY happy when he gets back!" Sadie told them as she tossed more out to Javier. "Say, where did he go anyway? Didn't look like he were headin' for Rhodes."

"I don't know. He took Micah and Arthur though." Charles answered with a shrug. "Looked like they were heading for The Heartlands, but they were pretty tight-lipped about it all."

"Maybe we can chat more about it when we're not waiting on the law coming any minute?" Javier suggested. Sadie pulled the last of the money out, heading for her horse and stuffing it into the saddlebags.

"We're done here." Sadie declared, hopping up on her horse. She gestured to Charles, who fired his shotgun up in the air.

"Get out of here, both of you!" He ordered the coachmen. "No reason either of you need to get shot!"

They didn't need to be told a second time. With the horses gone, the money taken and the coach destroyed there was really nothing to stick around for. Sadie, Javier and Charles all spurred on their horses, making their way back towards Clements Point. The job had gone pretty well perfectly. Sadie pulled the bandana off her face, taking one last glance back. With the law still nowhere in sight, it was clear that they had gotten away clean and with a pretty big score too.

When they got back to the camp, they were around the campfire, sharing stories of their exploits of the day. There was a lot of laughter and good feeling around the camp. Dutch and Micah got back, approaching the campfire.

"Well, this is what we like to see! A little cheer and spirit for once!" Dutch said cheerfully, getting out his pipe and stuffing it with tobacco.

"We had a good score." Javier said with a smile. "That lead paid off big!"

"So, did the two of you have a productive day too?" Pearson asked. Dutch's smile slipped a little.

"Not…not as productive as I'd hoped." Dutch replied in a disappointed tone. "The meeting was fine but didn't pan out how I'd hoped."

"He didn't show?" Pearson asked.

"What meeting?" Sadie asked. "Who didn't show?"

"He showed up." Dutch replied. "And that is need to know Mrs Adler!"

"Well, Micah knows." She pointed out. "And Arthur…wherever he is…where is Arthur?"

"Arthur didn't come back with us. We rode separately." Micah assured her. "Sometimes the adults need to get some work done, leave the little kiddies to fend for themselves a little while."

"Don't talk to me like a child Micah!" Sadie demanded.

"I'll talk to you however I like missy." Micah responded. "I don't answer to no damn house-wife…"

"Pearson!" Sadie snapped. "You know more about this don't you?"

"I…"

"Don't lie to me, I know you do!" Sadie responded. Pearson looked to Dutch and Micah, who were just glaring at him, but apparently the stares of the rest of the gang affected him more. He took a deep breath.

"They went to parlay with Colm O'Driscoll." He told them.

"You did WHAT?" Sadie demanded, rounding on Dutch.

"Now, Mrs Adler…"

"You…you want to talk to that son of a bitch?" She asked. "You actually tried to make a deal with him?"

"In case you hadn't noticed missy, we got a lot of people on a lot of sides and things are feelin' real close these days." Micah stated as the others started to protest. "When we heard Colm wanted to talk about backin' off, we figured anything that gets us a little breathin' space was worth checkin' out."

"You…talked…to…COLM?" She roared. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. She was burning with rage. No wonder they kept so quiet about what they were doing. Everything she had done so far was to get her closer to the O'Driscolls, to Tom…and here she was finding out they were going to meet with Colm O'Driscoll himself. Hell, for all she knew it was possible Tom was there! He was Colm's right-hand-man. It would only be natural that he brought him with him.

"This is EXACTLY why I didn't tell you Mrs Adler!" Dutch yelled back. "I have every reason to hate that man as much as you do, but Micah's right. We need less enemies right now, not more. If I could bury the hatchet…"

"There's only one place I want to bury the hatchet!" Sadie interrupted him coldly.

"Dutch, where's Arthur?" Mary-Beth asked.

"I told you, we rode out separate…"

"But he went to the meeting with you." Mary-Beth interrupted Micah. He just sighed.

"He was doubtin' just like the two of you, so we sent him to a nice little ridge with his little rifle to keep an eye on things." Micah told them. "Figured that maybe lettin' Colm know there were a rifle pointed at his skull the entire time he was smokin' the peace pipe was probably not the best way to foster good feelin' so no doubt he'll turn up."

"Micah, he's been gone for hours!" Karen stated.

"He's probably set up camp somewhere to…"

"I'm goin' out lookin' for him." Sadie interrupted them. "Charles?"

"I'll go too." He replied.

As they were heading to mount up, they suddenly became aware of something on the opposite side of the camp. Someone was riding towards the camp. Well, it could more accurately be described as a horse was walking towards the camp with someone draped on it. As the figure came closer, they could see it was Arthur. He was dressed in his long-johns and nothing else. He looked weary and beaten. His long-johns were covered in blood. He got to the edge of camp, before sliding off the saddle, landing on a heap on the ground. Everyone sprinted towards him, beginning to surround him.

"Arthur?" Mary-Beth asked, looking horrified. Karen joined him.

"Arthur?" Dutch asked, looking down on him. Arthur just looked up to them, almost all of his strength gone.

"I told you it was a set-up Dutch…" He said weakly.

"My dear boy, what?" He asked.

"They got me…but I got away." Arthur breathed.

"That you did." Dutch answered. "Ms Grimshaw! I need help! Reverend Swanson!"

"He was gonna set the law on us!" Arthur growled. Dutch just stared at him open-mouthed. Now it made sense. The Van Der Lindes prided themselves on never leaving anyone behind. Taking anyone, especially the 'favoured son' Arthur would undoubtedly have led to a rescue. They were planning to draw Dutch and the others out to a trap.

"Oh, of course he was!" Dutch said.

"I'm sorry Arthur." Pearson said as he helped him up.

"It is a bit late for apologies!" Dutch spat angrily at Pearson as they got him up. Sadie could hardly believe that Dutch was trying to blame Pearson for this. Keeping the meeting a secret, agreeing to meet with Colm…all of that was his call. "SWANSON!"

"I'm here Mr Morgan." Reverend Swanson told him.

"Let's get him to the bed." Ms Grimshaw rushed out.

"You are safe now Arthur!" Dutch said as they got him back to his own bed, laying him down. "You're safe now!"

"That's pretty Dutch." Arthur laughed. "That's real pretty!"

"Miss Grimshaw, will you sit with him for a while?" Dutch asked her.

"Of course, I will." She assured him. "You're safe now Mr Morgan. You're home."

As Dutch wandered away, looking out over the lake, he got his pipe and started to look for a match. Sadie walked up to him, taking out a match and striking it up.

"So, you still think the parlay with Colm was worth it?" She asked him.

"No, I do not." Dutch replied. "Believe me Mrs Adler, I do not believe in getting stung more than once."

Back in the present, Sadie looked up as the trapper called her over. She got up from the fountain, walking over. He offered her the boots.

"Here we go, time to break them in." He told her. Sadie put the boots on the ground and slipped her feet inside. She just smiled and looked to him.

"Perfect first time." She commented.

"I should know your measurements by now." He stated, laying down the gun belt, holsters and bandolier while she worked her other foot into the matching boot. "There you go, always a pleasure doing business. Yes, sir, that's a fine piece I see you admiring there, are you in the market."

"So, Dutch was really going to bury the hatchet with Colm O'Driscoll?" Levin asked her as she took off her gun belt and bandolier, beginning to transfer her weapons and ammunition to the new ones.

"Maybe…if Colm weren't a two-bit back-stabbin' son of a bitch." Sadie responded. "It'd be a while before we could make a move on him though. Turned out that Micah was right about one thing. We had a lot of folks closin' in. We just never knew how close they were."

**A/N: **Never let it be said I object to someone pointing out a mistake. If I make a genuine error, I'm only too happy to admit it and even thank the person that pointed it out. Recently someone sent me a review pointing out I got Jack's age wrong. I have since corrected the mistake. Unfortunately, the review was unsigned so I couldn't thank the person directly but if you're still reading, thanks for pointing that out.


	16. The Danger Playing Both Sides

"I can't imagine you were happy about that." Levin asked, seeing the look on Sadie's face as they mounted up and started to trot on their way. Her face showed a weary, irritated expression with such a question, but in his career, he'd become accustomed to the fact that sometimes he needed to ask those. Not every question was the goldmine, and sometimes it was necessary to go to the obvious place. She clicked her tongue and pulled on the reins, directing her horse on the next stage of her trip. Levin followed her.

"Happy about the fact Dutch were tryin' to parlay with Colm behind my back? Happy that he weren't gonna tell me he was plannin' to end his feud without tellin' me? Happy that Arthur was almost beaten to death by some yahoos while he was sippin' whisky and sharin' a cigar with the guy? No, I was delighted! What the hell kind of question is that?" She said, leaning over to spit into the gutter as they rode on. "A lot of people weren't happy in the camp after that. Arthur, he were one of the strongest people any of us ever knew, but the state he came back in...I swear I don't think there were a person in the camp that believed he were gonna make it. Swanson gave him the Last Rites so many times over the first couple of days I swear I learned it off by heart just hearin' it. I don't think he even moved for the first week."

"I'm guessing that caused a lot of anger in the camp." He said, taking down some notes.

"You know, for a writer, Mr Levin, you sometimes have a real flair for the understatement." She sighed. "People were pissed! Dutch was spittin' blood! But right then, there were other priorities. Dutch and Hosea were still playin' the Grays and the Braithwaites against each other, we knew that even though the Pinkertons had to be as pissed at Colm as they were about Dutch about us slippin' through their fingers they couldn't be far away. We'd stepped on the toes of the Lemoyne Raiders plenty of times and we couldn't discount the possibility the O'Driscolls were gonna make a trip south. No, we were startin' to feel things closin' in alright; we just needed to hope we had time for Arthur to be ready to move."

Back in the past, Sadie was wandering around the camp, keeping an eye on one side while Javier looked after the other. Dutch had insisted that now they needed a double duty on guard after what had happened at the parlay. It wasn't the first mistake Dutch had made and it wouldn't be the last, but so far it sure as hell was one of the biggest.

No one doubted the risks of the life they led. People came back hurt all the time from their various jobs. It had been some time since they had lost a member of the gang, but from the few conversations she had heard about the camp, she knew that it was something that happened. It was just an inevitable part of the life of an outlaw. Dutch was seething, boiling on the inside, but unlike the far more explosive and expressive in the camp like Bill or Sean or even Micah, he was a lot quieter in his fury. He used it to fuel his plans and his focus. He no doubt was already thinking of ways to strike out at Colm if he got the chance, but for now he was more interested in keeping everyone safe until Arthur could ride again and they could wrap up this chapter of their lives and leave Rhodes in the dust.

Sadie didn't really mind the larger amount of time she was spending back at camp now. Even though she'd only really started going on jobs, seeing Dutch once again back on the same page as her as far as Colm was concerned was something. She still couldn't believe he was actually thinking of calling it quits with him. She didn't want to think what would have happened if he had. She couldn't let it go; she would never be able to just pretend that they hadn't taken her life from her. She'd probably have had to go out on her own. How long would she have lasted? She couldn't really say, probably not long, but she would be sure that when the last breath left her, there'd be a whole bunch of the bastards joining her. However, seeing Dutch once again by his tent, directing operations as he puffed away on his pipe, she was glad to know that the gang would once more have her back.

Arthur was still on the mend. It had been a few weeks, and he was actually getting up out of the bed for a little bit each day. It was a miracle he had even survived, never mind anything else. He was spending a lot of his time reading and catching up with people in the camp. Sadie couldn't remember him spending so much time in the camp. He was a wanderer by nature. Still, it was heartening to see him able to do simple things like dress himself and wander around the camp unaided.

She found Charles by the scout fire, making up some arrows. She set down her repeater and sat with him.

"You know, you can buy those arrows in town for a few cents." She told him.

"Not like these." He told her, showing her one. "tie a rag around it, soak it in a little moonshine, these things can set a house on fire from a safe distance."

"Well, there's plenty of shine in these parts." She remarked.

"Want me to show you...?"

"No, I'm good thanks." Sadie said, holding up her hands. "You've seen what I'm like with a bow. No offence, but I reckon I'll stick with a good rifle any day."

"Fair enough." He said with a shrug, pouring her some coffee and handing it to her, before taking some himself. She took a sip as she sat with him. While they were sitting, she noticed a little way off, Karen sitting by one of the wagons. Sean was with her, talking to her gently stroking her hair as she just sat slumped by the wagon. Karen occasionally swiped at him, like trying to push him away, but it was half-hearted at best. Sadie had already established that something of an odd relationship. It was pretty clear that Sean was devoted to her, completely and utterly doting on her when he could. For her part, it seemed to swing wildly between being unable to stand him and being unable to be without him. Charles noticed her looking and tried to get her attention away.

"Karen must be having one of her bad days." He commented. Sadie just shrugged.

"I don't know, I ain't seen any empty bottles..."

"That's not what I meant." He interrupted her.

"Then what is it?" She asked him.

"I believe people call it melancholia." He told her.

"Melancholia?" Sadie asked him. She could remember vaguely hearing Jake mention it once. "Are you sure?"

"She saw a doctor years ago, before she joined the gang." Charles informed her. Although Charles had only been with the gang less than a year, one thing Sadie quickly found was that there were precious few secrets in the camp. It was just one of the reasons people took it so personally when there was a secret, like Dutch's attempted parlay. For the most part, everyone knew what everyone else had been through, and more importantly, that freedom let people be who they were and feel like part of the family.

"But she's usually so...you know...cheerful." Sadie said, trying to find as diplomatic a way of putting it as possible. She and Karen had a fair bit in common in terms of not exactly being the most 'feminine' women around. While Karen still liked dresses and using her wiles to lull men into a false sense of security, she certainly never shied away from throwing fists or shooting a gun with the best of them. She was very assertive and certainly didn't seem to mind letting people know where she stood on most issues.

"It's not like that. It's more like, it comes and goes." Charles explained. "When she's up she's up but sometimes, she kind of gets these bad swings. There are days she's ready to take on the world and others where she's barely able to get out of bed."

"I...I had no idea." Sadie said, starting to think a lot more about Karen and the time she had known her. She was prone to extremes at times. She'd once seen her full-on punch Molly in the face over a minor argument that was so stupid neither one of them could even remember what triggered it. She could remember seeing her with Sean and the fact that at times, she seemed convinced he hated her when it was clear to anyone with eyes that nothing could be further from the truth. She saw how Sean was talking with her now, trying to coax her away from the wagon to go with him somewhere. "Jeez, I can't even imagine."

"Sean tries his best. He seems to really understand her and what's going on with her." Charles said to her.

"Wait, he's coming over." Sadie said as she saw him leaving her to her own thing. He came to the scout fire, picking up the percolator and pouring himself some coffee.

"Hey Sean." Sadie greeted him. "Up to much?"

"Nah, not really." He said as he took a sip, before making an expression of disgust and pulling out some whiskey to make his coffee Irish. "Just tryin' not to die of boredom. I swear if those O'Driscoll wankers want us, it's not like we're goin' anywhere."

"I know I'd like to give them a few rounds of this for what they did to Arthur." Charles said, patting his sawn-off shotgun. Sean took another sip of coffee, before he looked to them.

"Still, at least old Hosea and Dutch seem to be gettin' close to somethin'." He told them. "A few of us are goin' to town to meet up with some of them Gray boys at the saloon to talk about some guns for a job."

"They're looking for guns outside their family?" Charles asked. "It sounds like their feud is heating up."

"Well, with Dutch and Hosea stokin' the fires on both sides I'm not surprised." Sean laughed. "Between burnin' the Gray's tobacco, stealin' the Braithwaite's horses and all that other shit, both sides are about ready to tear each other apart."

"And that's...a good thing?" Sadie asked him, sounding a little sceptical. Sean just shrugged.

"Once the smoke clears and leaves the way clear for us to waltz in and take everythin' both sides have, it'll all seem worth it." Sean said as he sipped more coffee. "I were actually wonderin' if either of you wanted to go with actually. I did ask Karen; though a short walk in a pretty town might be somethin' she'd like but...well..."

He tailed off, sounding slightly regretful, before looking to them.

"So, what do you say?" He asked.

"Who's going?" Charles asked him.

"Well, Bill set this all up, so him. Me, obviously. Micah..."

"Pass!" They both chorused. Sean just held up his hands.

"OK, OK, only askin'!" He responded. "Hey, Arthur! Your tired old bones up for a little trip into town?"

"Get lost Sean!" He called back from his wagon.

"Oh, come on, that's what John said!" Sean replied. "Come on, it'll be a nice simple one, break you back in nice an' easy."

"With you, Bill and Micah?" Arthur asked as he hauled himself out of bed and headed towards the jetty. "We'll be lucky if the town's left standin'!"

"Then maybe you should come along make sure we play nice then pops!" Sean teased him.

"Alright, but only because I don't want another Strawberry on our hands!" Arthur called back. "I'll meet you in town by the Post Office; DON'T do a thing before I get there!"

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on old timer!" Sean said. Arthur responded by throwing a knife his way. It was clearly meant to miss, since it did, but sailed so close to Sean's head it clearly terrified him. "Jesus! Alright, message received! We'll meet you by the post office!"

As Arthur went to the jetty and sat down with his journal, starting to write in it, Sadie looked back to Charles.

"You know, he's got a point. Maybe we should go." Sadie suggested. "You know, make sure things don't get too out of hand."

"Too many people could just make things worse, make folks nervous." Charles pointed out. "Besides, it probably won't do much good. I've got a bad feeling about all this; it feels like our time here's growing short."

Sadie just nodded. Charles tended to have pretty good instincts on such matters and it was usually a good move to trust them. John came over, standing between them.

"Either of you two seen Jack?" He asked. "Abigail's frettin', hasn't seen him in a while and insists we look for him."

"How long's he been missing?" Charles asked.

"I don't know, only a couple of hours." John said wearily. "Abigail's probably just getting all twisted up over nothin'. Kids go wandering, it's what they do."

"Probably couldn't hurt to take a look though." Charles replied, finishing his coffee and putting his arrows away. "Come on, let's have a look nearby, see if we can find a trail in the woods."

Sadie finished off her cup and picked up her repeater, going back to her patrol.

The day went on relatively uneventfully. Abigail was still hanging around camp, asking around if anyone had seen Jack, but other than that things were relatively quiet around the camp.

Lenny had returned from a raid on a Lemoyne Raider camp, bringing some decent loot with him. Lenny, for reasons that were only too understandable, had taken an intense personal dislike to the self-styled militia and seemed to live for tweaking their nose any chance he got. While Tilly was mostly nervous about being in this region, Lenny almost took it as a personal challenge to piss off the local hoodlums as much as he could. Still, with him returning, it meant Sadie could be relieved to help Pearson.

"Alright everyone, chow time! Dinner is served!" Pearson called out, clattering the pot loudly with a ladle. The camp started to stir and come to get their meal. Sadie was a little surprised when she saw that Karen got up and started to head towards them. She started to spoon out a dish, handing it to Karen, who just took it without a word and headed back to the wagon. She looked up as John and Charles got back.

"Where's Jack?" Abigail rushed out.

"We didn't find him..."

"Didn't find him?" Abigail shrieked. "Then what the hell are you doing back here?"

"Its dinner time, we figured if he were hungry he might have come back!" John said in an off-hand way. "He ain't back yet?"

"If he was back do you think I'd be going out of my mind?" She yelled at him, beginning to shove him and hit him in the chest. "You get back out there John Marston and you don't come back until you find our son!"

"HEY! Dutch! I think you gotta see this!" Javier called out. Everyone ran to the edge of camp, where they saw Bill and Micah riding back. They looked dirty, and a little bedraggled, but it was when they got closer they noticed a bigger issue. There was blood all down the side of Bill's horse. It was coming from someone lying draped over the back of the horse.

"Out of the way, let me through." Dutch said as he came over, just as Micah and Bill dismounted. Bill pulled the body from the back of the horse. Everyone recoiled as they saw that it was Sean. His head had been opened up, a huge bullet wound straight through his skull. It was only a few hours ago he'd been joking and laughing with them. There was a murmur around the group. It was a fact of life that sometimes they lost one of their own, but it was never easy when they did. As Bill cradled Sean's limp body in his arms, Dutch came across, running a hand over his hair in a fatherly, caring gesture, his mouth open in shock. "What happened?"

"It weren't our fault..."

"What HAPPENED?" Dutch demanded a little more forcefully, interrupting Bill.

"It were a set-up. The Grays set an ambush for us in town." Micah told him. "It looks like they finally got wise to the fact we've been playin' both sides Dutch."

"Sean...my boy..." Dutch whispered. He closed a fist as he looked back to them. "The Grays?"

"They're already dealt with." Micah assured him. "The town undertaker's gonna love us...presuming he weren't one of the ones we shot of course."

Just then, there was a long silence. Everyone parted as Karen came over, walking up to Bill. She cradled Sean's head in her hands, her lip started to quiver as she held him. No one knew what to do as she pressed her head to his, a few tears running down her face. Eventually, she stepped back and let out the loudest, most heart-breaking scream anyone could remember hearing.

"Ms Grimshaw, if you please..."

"Of course Dutch." She said, guiding Karen away. Mary-Beth and Tilly went with her, rallying around her. Dutch ran a hand over his face.

"Mr Swanson." He said, looking to the reverend. "Would you take Mr Bell and Mr Williamson, find a spot to bury the boy."

As Dutch left to go back to his tent, closely followed by Hosea, Charles came across.

"You OK?" He asked.

"I...I guess." Sadie answered as she watched Swanson, Bill and Micah ride off to take care of Sean's corpse. It hardly seemed real that she was only talking to him a few hours before. "You think that maybe, if we'd gone with him...?"

"Those kind of thoughts never do anyone any good." Charles told her. "We've been lucky it's been so long between losing Dave Callander and Sean."

"This isn't the end of this is it?" She asked. "How are those instincts of yours?"

"I don't think you want to know." He said honestly as he headed off to get something to eat.

The following morning, Sadie was wakened as she heard some yelling. A mixture of panic and anger, and she could hear a number of people gathered in the middle of camp. She grabbed her repeater and snapped to her feet, coming to see what was going on. When she got to the middle of the camp, she found everyone gathered around. Abigail was going spare, yelling at Dutch.

"Where is my God Damn son?" She was screaming, barely able to restrain herself. "They took my son!"

"Charles, what's going on?" She asked. "Jack ain't back yet?"

"It looks like he's been taken." Charles told her. "Kieran said something about seeing Jack when he was out fishing yesterday. He said something about a couple of folks dressed in real fancy clothes talking to them. Seems he was the last to see Jack."

"My God, no wonder Abigail's goin' out of her mind." Sadie gasped. "Any idea who they are?"

"He said they talked fancy, wore fancy clothes but their accents sounded local." Charles told her.

"Braithwaites?" Sadie asked. He just nodded.

"That's what it sounds like." Charles replied. "If the Grays figured out what we were doing it stands to reason the Braithwaites did too, but taking a kid? That's just a line you don't cross!"

Sadie nodded in agreement as she turned her attention back to Dutch, who had his hands on Abigail's shoulders. John was standing just behind her, looking extremely agitated.

"We will find him, we will bring him back to you and we will kill any fool that had the temerity to touch a hair on that boy's head!" Dutch said, beginning in a calm, even tone that rose towards the end. "Abigail, I give you my word!"

"Just get me back my son." Abigail said quietly. Dutch signalled everyone in the camp. It didn't need to be said that anyone with a gun was to come with him.

"I will get him back, so help me God; I will get that boy back right now!" Dutch roared regally as he strode towards The Count. Sadie was about to head for her horse when Charles stopped her.

"Sadie, you should..."

"I'm goin' with them Charles!" She snarled. "Those sons of bitches took Jack! If he is harmed..."

"Believe me; we all feel the same way." Charles told her. "But...Karen's not in a good way...and we can't leave the camp undefended."

"I..." Sadie started to say, thinking about it. It had only been last night they lost Sean. It stood to reason Karen wasn't in any fit state to do much. "...I hadn't thought about that."

"Dutch, we just heard about Jack!" Bill called over, grabbing his rifle. "You need extra guns?"

"Why not?" He asked as he mounted up. "Kieran, Micah, anyone strange shows up, you kill 'em. Rest of you, let's ride!"

Sadie didn't like being left behind, particularly with Micah, but she could see the wisdom in what Charles had said.

With a thunder of hooves, the Van Der Linde Gang rode out, armed to the teeth and ready to rain down unholy hell on anyone in their way. Sadie, though, could muster no sympathy for Catherine Braithwaite or her brood. Everything that happened after that point was all on her.


	17. Shady Belle

Sadie and Levin arrived at her next port of call. Levin was a little surprised to find that it was the local gunsmith. He wasn't especially surprised that Sadie would visit a gunsmith, given her profession keeping a good stock of ammunition and the tools of her trade well maintained was something of a necessity, but as with virtually everything else in the centre of Saint Denis, the gun store was very up-market and a as much, if not more for show than anything else. Many of the items on display were gaudy and obscene, glittering weapons that were much more of a status symbol or fashion accessory than the far plainer, more practical weapons that Sadie chose to carry. While some of the older gunslingers had carried very ornate weapons as befitted their "legendary" status, normally carrying a gun that was gold plated was just a very good way to advertise that the person carrying the weapon was probably worth robbing. Then again, given the price tag for many of the weapons on display, he doubted many of the people that bought them ever saw much action. They'd be more than capable of hiring others to deal with unpleasantness for them.

"Mrs Adler, how lovely to see you again!" The shop keeper greeted her as she approached. She started to make safe her weapons, unloading them and leaving the breaches open as she placed them on the counter.

"Just the usual." She told him. She looked to Levin as she pulled off a glove, showing him the scar on her hand. "I learned the hard way what happens when you don't take care of your irons. I always have a good supply of oil on me and I clean 'em whenever I can, but nothin' beats gettin' it done proper. This here store's the best there is."

"I imagine those weapons have seen quite a bit of action." Levin stated. Sadie just smiled.

"Well, I don't have 'em for how pretty they look like some of these things…no offence mister." She said in an off-hand way.

"None taken." The shopkeeper said, concentrating on the task in hand. Even he was well aware of the excessive nature of the decoration on the weapons he had in stock, but he was also an astute enough businessman to know his clientele.

"Any time I stop in a town, I go to the gunsmith and get my weapons looked at, but this place, this is definitely the best." She told him. "I've been comin' here since the first time I ever came to Saint Denis. Believe you me, this place were unlike anythin' I had ever seen up until that point. I don't think I'd ever seen so many people in one place at one time. It ain't that far, but it sure felt like a thousand miles from Rhodes."

"So, it was here you came after Rhodes?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"Yeah, after the manor…it weren't like we had a whole lot of options." She recalled. "And for the first time in a long time, some of us even had a roof."

Back in the past, morning broke over Clemen's Point. It was pretty much impossible for anyone to have missed the firefight at the Braithwaite Manor. The gunshots could be heard for miles, and smoke still rose over the treetops from the fire. The gang had brought with them the full fury of vengeance with them. They were enraged that Catherine Braithwaite had the callousness to kidnap a young child over her feud with them, and that spite had been repaid dearly. When they realised that she hadn't actually had the boy, that didn't afford her any mercy. They had burned the manor, the very symbol of her family's power to the ground. They later heard that the flames could be seen almost as far away as Saint Denis. 120 years the Braithwaites had ruled the area, and now their legacy quite literally lay in ash.

There was no celebration when they returned. Returning empty-handed, at first the camp feared the worst. However, Dutch was quick to relay the news that Catherine had not in fact had the boy. She had given him away to someone else, some rich business associate in the city of Saint Denis. The night was a restless one, with a lot of emotion going through the camp. Everyone knew that soon they would have to move on, but until they found out where Jack was, they couldn't go far.

Sadie had a lot of energy, a lot of built up frustration from being unable to go with the rest of the gang to exact revenge for Jack. She understood completely why she had been asked to stay behind. Between Karen's current condition and Micah being Micah, she understood them wanting to leave behind a gun they could rely on. It did, however, mean that while they had all had some kind of release, she was still very tightly wound. It was no difficulty for her to remain on watch for the rest of the night.

Abigail was inconsolable. Jack had barely been out of her sight for more than a few hours since he had been born. Normally such a strong, kind woman, she looked like someone had torn a piece from her. John…she could never remember John being so attentive. His relationship with Abigail, and especially Jack was a complicated one. He and Abigail did care for each other, but from what little she had learned a big part of the rift between them stemmed from the fact John hadn't been convinced Jack was even his son. He had even left the gang for a period of about a year leaving them both behind. However, when Jack was gone, with no one knowing what had happened to him, John had been beside himself. He had a barely restrained rage within him that had been unleashed upon the Braithwaites. The whole night though, rather than his anger, his attention had all been on Abigail, trying to soothe her and assure her that her son was alive and well.

Micah didn't sleep either…but then she never could remember seeing him sleep. It was just one of many things that gave her the creeps about him. He even offered to keep watch if she wanted to go to sleep, but even if she could sleep, she didn't like the idea of leaving Micah as the only one in the camp that was awake.

By the time dawn broke and people were moving, the mood in the camp was still very subdued. Karen didn't even move from her bed, but as it became clear no one in the camp was going anywhere, all kind of hanging around waiting to hear what the next move was, Dutch finally stood up, lighting up his pipe as he called his congregation to attention.

"Last night, we rode against a vile enemy and we exacted a terrible vengeance." Dutch declared. "But as you can plainly see, our family, our community, is not yet whole. I will do what I can to rectify that. Hosea, John, Arthur…if you will please! The rest of you, keep yourselves busy."

Sadie leaned against a tree, keeping an eye on the camp table as the four most senior members of the gang sat around it. While the gang very much operated as a community, in dire times they would default to seniority. Given the situation, it was no surprise to Sadie that they would streamline the process by having only four voices at the table. Even Bill and Javier, who had ridden with the gang for years understood that right now, they needed to stand down. They would receive instruction if they were needed, but for right now, they didn't need to complicate the matter with too many voices.

"Almost makes you wonder if it's all worth it." She heard Micah's thin, sinister voice say over her shoulder. It made her skin crawl to feel him this close to her. She still never understood how he managed to do that. How he could just appear close to someone before they realised, he was close. She didn't give him the satisfaction of reacting in fright though.

"They're talkin' about what to do next." Sadie told him. "I'd say that's pretty worth it."

"I mean the boy. Is it worth it?" Micah asked. "I mean, presumin' he's even still alive, which we don't know he is…"

"And we don't know he ain't either." Sadie interrupted him. "Makes sense to me that until we find out otherwise, we assume he is."

"All I'm sayin' is, there's already a lot of dead weight around here." Micah stated. "Now you, I've got to admit, you've impressed me girl."

"I'll try not to swoon." Sadie answered sarcastically.

"But if we're gonna be movin' on quick, it seems to me having a few less…"

"You know, maybe you should consider the fact that there's a reason you're over here belly achin' to me and not over at that table." Sadie suggested. Micah snorted deeply, before spitting on the ground and stomping away. Sadie just smiled. As much as he had Dutch's ear, she couldn't help getting a little bit of satisfaction at seeing him acting like a spoiled child when he wasn't included in the discussion at the big boy's table.

Just then, there was a commotion from the edge of the camp.

"Hey, Dutch! We got a problem!" Lenny yelled as he came into the camp. Everyone started to stir and come to see what the newest issue was. Lenny was escorting two men in, men wearing suits. Everyone in the camp put down whatever they were doing and started to come over. Even Karen, who Sadie was starting to wonder if she was even awake, got up and started to make her way over. Sadie had never met a Pinkerton by that point in her life, but seeing the way people were unclipping the straps on holsters and collecting weapons she could tell that these men were seen as a real danger to the camp. Even Lenny, who was normally very confident in his reflexes and extremely easy-going until the shooting started had his gun trained right on the back of one of their skulls. Sadie pulled up her bandana over her face and cradled her repeater, placing her finger just outside the trigger guard, ready for if she needed to use it.

The men were confident, smug and assertive in their swagger as they walked straight into a camp full of armed killers. Normally being surrounded by so many people with high bounties on their heads for murders across the length and breadth of the country would give most pause for thought, but not these two. Pressed and dressed in fancy, modern suits and bowler hats. One of them was carrying a repeating shotgun over his shoulder. The other had a shoulder harness, but it was clipped and he showed no indication of going for it, probably the only reason Lenny wasn't relocating the back of his skull to the other side of the river. They both had big, shiny badges on their lapels, which Sadie assumed to be to identify them as agents.

"Not a problem, visitors." One of them said, the one who wasn't holding the shotgun. Since he was the only one talking, she took him to be the leader.

He had a high and tight haircut that looked a lot like he had a military background, and pockmarked skin which Sadie recognised as the hallmarks of someone who had survived the ravages of smallpox. Smallpox was no longer the death sentence it once had been, but it still left its mark whenever it did make its way into an area, as this man's face clearly showed. He had a skinny, bony face which had a few scars which denoted he was no stranger to violence. He continued to walk towards Dutch, with his colleague a couple of steps behind, showing little care for the large, armed group forming up around him. "A solution. Good day, fine people!"

His voice just dripped with insincerity and cold spite. He never took his eyes off Dutch as he approached.

"Mr Van Der Linde, Mr Matthews I presume." He said casually, approaching the table. Hosea, Arthur and John were already on their feet, circling around. Dutch looked almost uninterested, still sitting at the table. "And…who are you?"

"Rip Van Winkle." John responded with a notable bite in his voice, his hand on the handle of his revolver. The Pinkerton didn't seem to be too worried about the threat though.

"Huh, good day sir." He greeted him, indicating that he was completely uninterested. He either knew exactly who John was and had no interest in him right now, or he genuinely didn't care in the presence of such higher profile outlaws. "Agent Milton, Pinkerton Detective Agency. Agent Ross."

He panned his hand back towards his colleague, who had a slightly fuller face and a moustache. He didn't say a word in the presence of his superior as Milton looked to Arthur. "Ah, Mr Morgan, nice to see you again."

Given Arthur's expression, she could tell they were the issues Arthur had run into near Horseshoe. Arthur had already explained to them who these men were. They had run across Arthur and Jack fishing near the camp. Despite Jack being right there, they had told him directly that they had killed one of their own, Mac Callander. They had actively taunted him about it. It was only because he was so young Jack didn't understand what they had said, but Arthur had been enraged more by them speaking about such grisly matters in front of the boy than their threats to him and the gang. Dutch finally spoke.

"And to what do we owe the pleasure, Agent Moron?" Dutch asked. Sadie snorted a little as she struggled to keep from laughing. Agent Ross glanced over at her, the only one with their face covered, and furrowed his brows. After giving her a long, inquisitive look, he turned his attention back to the matter in hand.

"I don't know if you're aware but this is a civilised land now." Milton continued. "We didn't kill all them savages only for the likes of you to act like human dignity and basic decency was outmoded or not invented yet."

Sadie's eyes narrowed. Civilised? Is that what he called this land? Where was he with his civility and decency when her husband was butchered in his own living room? Where was his civilisation when she was being held in her own basement? Last she'd heard of the Pinkertons was when they had made a deal with the scum that had destroyed her life to take Arthur.

"This thing, ain't no such thing as civilised." Dutch whispered, getting to his feet and turning to confront Milton, echoing Sadie's thoughts. "It's man, so in love with greed, he has lost himself and found only appetites."

Sadie had never really thought much of the philosophy of Dutch's speeches before, but it mirrored so closely her own experience, she couldn't help but find herself agreeing. Whether it was the companies who sent the army to clear people off land they had owned for years, or the bastards that disembowelled her husband before her eyes and ransacked her home for a few supplies, it could all be brought down at some level to greed. Society, it seemed, was all about encouraging people to value possessions and things so much they were willing to do anything or harm anyone to get it. It was like Dutch said once, somehow sticking a gun in someone's face at least felt more honest in the motivation.

"And as a consequence, that lets you take what you please? Kill whom you please and hang the rest of us?" He asked. "Who made you the messiah of these lost souls you have led so horribly astray?"

"I'm nothing more than a seeker, Mr Milton." Dutch told him.

"You ain't much of anything more than a killer Mr Van Der Linde." He stated coldly. "But I came to make a deal. It's time. You come with me, and I give the rest of you three days to run off, disappear and live like human beings someplace else."

Sadie couldn't help glancing around. Many of the gang had large prices on their heads. VERY large, the kind of price that could set someone up for life. Arthur had a $5000 bounty on his head in Blackwater. By comparison, William H Bonny had only had a bounty of $500. Sitting right there in that camp was enough money for anyone brave, strong and foolhardy enough to claim it to set themselves and their family up for generations. Most of them would never be able to see a time that price would just go away. If any of them did want to walk away from the gang, this was a tempting offer, one of the only times they'd ever get the chance to leave that kind of price behind. However, no one even looked away from him. Dutch commanded that loyalty in his followers. He just smiled.

"You came, for me?" Dutch asked, sounding almost like he was flattered. It was true that Dutch Van Der Linde had the largest bounty on his head by a long way, and clearly Milton was hoping that self-interest would over-ride any loyalty the gang felt to him. "Risked life and limb in this den of lowlifes and murderers so that they might live and love? Ain't that fine!"

"I don't want to kill all these folk Dutch." Milton stated, but by now he had well and truly lost his audience. There was not one person in the camp that believed Milton would honour his word over those that believed Dutch would do right by them. "Just you!"

"In that case, it'd be my honour to join you." Dutch said, holding his hands up like he was surrendering and starting to make his way forward. "Excuse me friends, I have an appointment to keep with…"

Dutch didn't get to finish. Every member of the gang, even those Sadie hadn't seen were armed, all pulled out weapons. Hammers were cocked on revolvers, rifles were cocked, and everyone readied their trigger fingers. As Ross looked around, almost like he was trying to weigh up his odds if things went south, he could see Sadie shifting her finger inside the trigger guard. His eyes narrowed again as he saw her. He then just turned his attention back to Milton. They were surrounded, the situation was hopeless. If they made a move, the only thing they were sure of was a very quick and bloody death.

"I think your new friend should leave now Dutch!" Miss Grimshaw said as she cocked a shotgun. Milton looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon as he realised his gamble had failed spectacularly. He was used to dealing with crooks and scum, people who were willing to sell anyone for their own ends. He wasn't prepared for the solidarity of the Van Der Linde Gang.

"You're all making a big mistake! All of you!" He said petulantly.

"Yeah, dreadful. We have got something, something to live and die for." Dutch explained. Sadie couldn't tell if he was trying to taunt Milton or recruit him. "How awful for us, Mr Milton."

He stepped closer, dropping any pretence of pleasantness, now moving to direct threats.

"Stop following us Mr Milton." Dutch told him. "We'll be gone soon."

"I'm afraid I can't." He responded. "And when I return, I'll be with fifty men! All of you will die! Run away from this place you fools! Run!"

This was where he made his mistake, in telling them this, he had revealed a major miscalculation in his plan. Everyone was ready for an ambush. They were all wondering if Milton already had his army of agents ready to move in on the camp. However, it looked like he and Ross had come on ahead, they were alone. She could see Pearson leaning in to speak to Miss Grimshaw. They were moving, as soon as Milton left. They had time, and they weren't going to waste a second of it. Lenny made his way towards Milton, reaching out for him, having finally tired of the threats.

"Come on!" He said, only for Milton to pull his arm away from him.

"Get your damn hands off me, boy." He whispered hatefully, before pushing his way out of camp. Ross followed him closely.

"What now?" Arthur asked. That was the million-dollar question. The only thing everyone knew was that Clemen's Point was no longer safe, but they still didn't know where they could go to.

"We gotta get outta here, and quick." Dutch sighed. "Any ideas?"

"I know a big old house, hidden in the swamps outside Saint Denis." Arthur told him, looking to Lenny, who nodded, exchanging a knowing glance. "I'm sure they'll find us eventually, but it should buy us a few days."

"A few days is all we need." Dutch responded.

"It's a spot out by Shady Belle." Arthur explained. "Lenny and I got into that dispute with the previous occupiers. Place is well hidden."

Dutch thought about it for a moment, stroking his chin before looking to John and Arthur.

"You and Arthur ride out and make sure no one else has moved in." Dutch told him. "Lenny, you go and follow those fools out of here, make sure they leave. And John, we'll get Jack back, and we'll get gone. The rest of you get packing!"

Sadie didn't have much to pack, she only had a few possessions she had picked up lately between her first few jobs and a couple of trips into Rhodes. She quickly got to work, helping the others pack up. They were in a race against time, with their only hope being that John or Arthur returned to guide them to Shady Belle before the Pinkertons returned.

The usual military precision of the pack up was as lightning fast as always. Within the hour, with the exception of depressions on the ground where the wagon wheels had sunk into the ground, it was impossible to know that a camp had even been there. John rode back in, telling them that Arthur was just finishing "cleaning" the place.

He led them along a path through the trees. Arthur had been right about one thing; this place was well-hidden. She could hardly believe it when she saw the huge manor house as they got to the end of the track. It was an old plantation, but one that had been abandoned long ago. The forest had grown up around it, concealing what at one time must have been a truly marvellous estate. The Lemoyne Raiders had chosen it no doubt because of its connection to the 'good old days' they longed for, but its isolation and its structure made it naturally easy to defend. It was a huge, two-story mansion, albeit one that had seen better days, but it was far removed from the camps they'd been in up until now. Some of them would actually get to stay in a building!

Arthur strode out of the manor house, opening his arms wide.

"Welcome home, all of ya, to my humble abode!" He declared. "We've got fine livin'. Please ignore the corpses and the alligators. It's paradise."

"I love it!" Dutch said giddily as he looked to the chuck wagon. "Miss Grimshaw, Mr Pearson, would you two kindly work your magic? Arthur, take a ride with me."

Sadie turned her attention back to the baggage, beginning to help the others set up the camp. It was definitely different, certainly miles removed from her old homestead, however that would be the place where her story would really begin.


	18. The Wonders of City Life

It didn't take long for everyone to get unpacked in Shady Belle all things considered. While Dutch and Arthur had headed into the city to begin making inquiries into where Jack was, everyone else was set to work making Shady Belle their new home.

It was definitely different from their previous two homes by a long way. Horseshoe had been mostly dry and arid, with most of the surrounding area being mainly dusty, sandy plains. This area of Lemoyne even more than the area around Rhodes was green, but instead of being a "pretty" green, it was overgrown. The ground, rather than dry and solid like Horseshoe or even mostly firm like Rhodes was a lot spongier and damper than they were used to. They were sitting on the banks of a river, but instead of the clear, sparkling waters of Rhodes, it was more of a murky, dull water that was impossible to see through, and much of it was covered in an unappealing looking algae. They were definitely way out in the bayou now.

They weren't exactly in the swamp; much of the area was a lot worse with areas where it was possible to sink up to knee deep in what looked like it should be solid ground the whole area was definitely a lot damper. They also had the latest neighbours to consider, that being that the river only yards from the house and the surrounding swamp were home to alligators. It was the first time Sadie had ever seen one outside of one of her husband's books, but here, she could stand on the edge of the property and see almost half a dozen at any moment of the day.

The area was still warm, but down here it was also extremely humid which made it all the more uncomfortable. Of course, right now no one was complaining about their new surroundings. Everyone had a lot more important things to worry about.

Abigail was noticeably and understandably quiet. With Jack still missing, and their only lead being the name 'Angelo Bronte', she had gone from despair to outright worry. John, much to his credit, was always by her side, always with her, ready for whatever she needed. John himself had noticeably changed in his demeanour. There was anger in him, but it was tempered with a worry and care that Sadie hadn't seen in him before. For the first time, it seemed like he realised he was a father, and that his son needed him. One of the mercies the house offered was the fact that there were rooms inside, and as the three senior members of the gang, with Hosea volunteering to forego a room, John, Arthur and Dutch all had rooms in the house. That meant Abigail and John had somewhere to go when things got a bit too much and they wanted to avoid the others in the camp.

Karen was just quiet. Not much else could be said about it. The others in the camp, Mary-Beth and Tally especially, tried to ensure she wasn't alone, but she was generally very drawn into herself. Sean's death was still raw in the camp; it was difficult to say otherwise. It had only been two days and in that time things had been so chaotic no one really had much time to process any of it. The gang was a family, and they did care deeply about each other, and so there was definitely mourning, though the problem with their way of life was that sometimes practicality left little room for emotion. Now that they had time for pause, it was starting to hit home a little more that he was gone. Sadie had liked Sean, annoying as he was. He was always fun to be around, even when he was driving everyone to distraction.

The camp was now set up, and people were starting to make the most of things. Pearson had set up the kitchen and rather than merely talking about making the stew, he was prattling on to anyone that would listen, and even several that wouldn't, with great enthusiasm about how they would get a treat when he could get out into the swamp and pick up ingredients for gumbo. Sadie could only chuckle and shake her head. Trust Pearson to find something to be cheerful about in pretty much any situation.

The watch patterns had already been set up. The manor was surrounded on three sides by the river and swampland, and so there was really only one direction they needed to watch, up the main path into the woods. It meant that here, they only really needed one person on watch, which freed a lot of people up to get some work done, once people were once again in a mood to do so. For now, everyone was still waiting on Dutch and Arthur coming back, but that just put Sadie at a loose end. She was starting to get restless and was looking for something, anything to do that didn't involve listening to Pearson go on about gumbo. Charles had already gone out to scout the area to find out what there was to eat, Micah had disappeared somewhere…Sadie hoped it involved one of the local gators but she doubted she was that lucky.

She knew that the city was not far away, and curiosity was starting to creep in on her. She'd heard so many stories of what cities were like, but she had never actually seen one. Not up close. It all sounded so unreal to her. Buildings with three, four, five levels and more? Streets lined with concrete, street trollies that ran around the street without horses…thousands of people living in such close proximity, hell sometimes dozens, even hundreds of people living in the same building! It was just completely baffling to her how or why anyone would want to live in such close confines to so many people. There were times she could scarcely get through the day in camp without seeing a dispute that threatened to turn ugly, and there were only about two dozen people in the camp tops at any one time. A building with hundreds of people? Surely that had to be a recipe for murders! But at the same time she really wanted to see what the fuss was about. After all, it wasn't like so many people could be attracted to an idea that was completely horrible was it?

For now though, the gang was mostly confined to camp. Like most of their trips, they had to be careful not to have large groups show up all at once, and with Arthur and Dutch already asking after one of the most dangerous and powerful men in Saint Denis, it was probably for the best to keep the armed posse they had waiting in the wings hidden for now in case he took it as a threat. They would all get their opportunity to explore, but for now they were just waiting on word from Dutch.

Sadie tossed her cards onto the table as Hosea showed his hand.

"Aw, there's no need to be a bad loser." Hosea teased her as he raked in his winnings.

"Sorry Hosea, but even I have my limits as to how long I can be entertained watchin' you take my money." She commented. He had just busted her out and she really wasn't in any mood to buy in for any more humiliation. She looked up, seeing Molly on the balcony, looking out like she was standing on a Widow's Watch. She couldn't help sniggering. "She does know that Dutch is only gonna be gone a few hours right?"

"Maybe physically, but I don't think she's been gettin' the attention she feels she deserves." Hosea responded. "If there's one thing I remember from all my years with by beloved Bessie, it's that you should always make your partner your first priority."

"But Dutch has so much on with the Bronte and Jack and Milton and…"

"You should still always make time. It were one of the reasons Bessie and I had so many good years together." He reiterated. "I'm sure it were one of the reasons you think back on your husband so fondly."

"I guess." She responded. "But I see it didn't take her long to go all lady of the manor."

"She came from that world once, only left for the adventure and romance of this life. Still, I get a feeling there's a part of her that wouldn't mind a few more of the trappings of that life." Hosea said with a wicked smile on his face. "I wonder if she'd feel quite so good about being in the master bedroom if she knew what the previous occupant did in there."

"Oh?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. Hosea made his hand into the shape of a gun and placed it to the side of his head, before making a small bang sound. Sadie just opened her eyes wide. "Seriously?"

"Apparently he made some fancy speech about how his lot were goin' to come back and then blew his own brains out all over the bed." Hosea told her. "Arthur said it was one of the damndest things he'd ever seen, and that's saying something. Apparently it took him longer to clear that up than the other bodies. Must have used one of them exploding rounds to make sure he did the job right."

"Javier said something about exploding bullets once, but I thought he were just yankin' my chain." She stated. Hosea just chuckled.

"Oh, they're real alright, make a real mess." He told her. "If you have a little animal fat I'll even show you how to make some."

"That would be much appreciated Hosea." She replied.

"Now, you wouldn't be thinking of telling Molly about what I just told you would you?" He asked her. Sadie just held a hand over her chest.

"Why, Mr Matthews, whatever makes you think I would do a thing like that?" Sadie asked, feigning innocence. Hosea just chuckled.

"Molly may rub a few people up the wrong way, but letting her know some sad, deluded old man that couldn't let go of the war blew his brains out on the bed spread and you'll really find out how bad she can be to live with." Hosea responded. Just then, Kieran approached them cautiously. He was fidgeting badly, wringing his hands as he approached. Although Kieran had been in the camp a while now, and he was certainly by no means considered a prisoner any longer, even being allowed to carry a gun nowadays, even if it was a second-hand revolver, he still was something of the camp whipping-boy. He didn't really venture out of the camp, and spent his days tending to the gang's horses.

It wasn't really a surprise that he was nervous about the idea of leaving since he had not only defected from the O'Driscolls, but in doing so had betrayed one of their hideouts to the Van Der Lindes and even shot one of his former 'comrades'. He'd made it abundantly clear that he wanted to ride with them now because Colm had likely heard about what had happened and he feared for his life out on his own. Even being bullied, berated and on occasions assaulted by some members of the gang when they couldn't let go of the fact he'd ridden with the O'Driscolls, however briefly, was better than his chances if he left.

"How's things going son?" Hosea asked him, greeting him.

"Things are going good Mr Matthews." He stated. "The horses are all really healthy and strong. The new feed I've got 'em on is doing great, and the poultices are working a treat on your horse Mrs Adler..."

"Wait, you're doin' what to my horse?" Sadie asked. Although she wasn't exactly trying to kill him, Sadie hadn't really spoken much to Kieran in the camp. There was still a distance there, a rift she couldn't bring herself to get over; even if she had accepted the camp's decision that Kieran was now 'one of them'. He held his hands up defensively.

"It's nothin' bad, I swear Mrs Adler, I SWEAR!" Kieran rushed out in a panic. "I just...saw he were favourin' his leg somethin' fierce and I saw he had picked up a wound somewhere...I just put a poultice on it to help I swear!"

Sadie got up, grabbing Kieran by the back of the neck and marched him over towards the horse station. Her horse had indeed picked up an injury; it had clipped a fence while she was riding away from one of Bill's infamous 'easy' stage coach jobs. It wasn't much, it was just a cut that Sadie had dealt with, but it had picked up an infection afterwards. She was keeping an eye on it to make sure it didn't become worse. She hasn't asked for Kieran to start messing around with the horse. It was just his job to feed the damn thing. She dragged him over to the horse station and shoved him towards her horse.

"What did you do to my dang horse?" She demanded.

"I just...like I said, it was the poultices..."

"Show me!" She growled. "Show me now or I swear..."

"It's here." He told her, pointing it out. "It's...it's nothin' bad Mrs Adler, I swear, just some burdock root and a couple of other things..."

She pulled off the dressing to have a look at the wound. To her surprise it was actually looking a lot better. The wound had been enflamed, and was starting to look a little like it could be infected. She was intending to just keep an eye on it, but she was starting to worry that if it got worse there might not be much more she could do for it, and she might even need to replace the horse. She had some money now she was doing jobs with the gang, but she didn't really know if she was able to afford real treatment for the horse if things went badly.

"I just thought that might help with the infection." Kieran stammered nervously. "I reckon a few days with those and that infection will probably clear right up."

"It's workin'. You were just tryin' to help." Sadie said, before looking to him a little apologetically. "Thank you."

"I just wanted to help." He replied quietly. "Look, Mrs Adler...I never had nothin' to do with...you know...what happened but...I just wanted you to know, I'm real sorry. If I could have done somethin' I would have..."

"I wasn't sure the infection were gonna go by itself...you might have just saved my horse." She responded as she looked to him. She could see the genuine and apologetic look on his face. She couldn't imagine anyone that looked less like an O'Driscoll at that moment. He looked more like the time Jack came to her to tell her he had spilled his juice on her bedroll. She let out a deep sigh.

"I appreciate it." She told him. "And...I don't just mean the horse. I know I ain't been real nice to you."

"It's alright." Kieran assured her.

"No, it ain't, and I can't do nothin' about how I've treated you up until now." She told him. "But, I can fix how I treat you from here on out. Kieran Duffy, you ain't no O'Driscoll. Not to me."

"I think that's about the nicest thing anyone other than Mary-Beth has ever said to me." Kieran said with a smile. "Which...uh...reminds me. I was wonderin' if you'd do me a favour."

"What is it?" Sadie asked him. He looked around like he was checking to see if anyone was listening before pulling in close to her.

"I were thinkin' of askin' Mary-Beth to one of them magic lantern shows in the city." He whispered. Sadie just looked to him a little curiously. "I mean...she's been tryin' to teach me to read, but I ain't exactly been a quick learner. I figured this might be somethin' we can both enjoy. Plus I've always wanted to see one."

"Then ask her!" Sadie told him. "I ain't her mother, and even if I was, last time I checked she's a grown woman who can make her own decisions. Jesus!"

"No, that ain't it." Kieran told her. "I...I'm a little scared about goin' out by ourselves. I ain't seen or heard from Colm in ages, and I know he tries to avoid the cities because there are so many law but...I just...I'd really feel a lot better if there were someone watchin' out for us."

"Kieran Duffy, are you askin' me to chaperone a date?" Sadie asked, cocking an eyebrow, with a little smile on her face. She had seen Kieran and Mary-Beth spending a lot of time around each other, and at times they reminded her of when she and Jake were courting as kids. He just nodded.

"If you wouldn't mind, it would make me feel so much better knowin' you was there." He said gratefully. Sadie took a look over to where Mary-Beth was sitting, and couldn't help noticing that she was trying hard to not look like she was glancing over, like she was waiting for a response. She had a feeling that he had already asked her.

"Go on then, you go ask her." Sadie instructed him as she set down her repeater. "Hey, Javier, mind if I borrow your horse? I want mine to rest up a little more!"

The ride into the city wasn't that far. Despite its hidden location, Shady Belle was pretty close to the city itself. Heading along the road, Sadie stayed far enough back to let Mary-Beth and Kieran get on with things without a third wheel getting in the way. It wasn't that long ago she had been in the same situation with Jake, and she knew there were certainly a lot of times she'd have appreciated a little more space. It was one of the things that sparked their decision to get the homestead.

As soon as they broke the tree-line, it was impossible to miss Saint Denis. Sadie had never seen a place so huge in all her life. Concrete and brick buildings extended so far she couldn't really see from here where the city even ended. The entry to the city brought them straight towards the industrial quarter, the life-blood of the whole city. A cannery, factories, freight yards, the railway all dominated this side of the city. It was an unfortunate decision in many ways because all someone could see from this side of the city was huge walls, massive expanses of brick and huge, wide chimneys extending skyward. Even though they ended a long way above the streets, they constantly spewed out thick plumes of dark smoke and soot day and night. It didn't help Sadie's initial thoughts on city living that the 'welcome' people got to the city was walking into thick, warm air that somehow even felt dirty to the touch.

Once they got past that section though, the world just seemed to change. Sadie's eyes were wide as she looked around at streets lined with paraffin lamps, meaning it was just as bright in the middle of the night as the daytime. The streets were paved, which she did wonder about how comfortable it was for the horses, but it definitely made walking around a lot more pleasant for the people, especially since they didn't get their fine shoes and clothes filthy from dirt paths...

...and the clothes! She had never seen anything like it. It was amazing to see what people actually went out in public wearing! There were plenty of workers in more or less standard clothing but there were people walking around in tailored suits, fine dresses, a riot of colours some of which Sadie wasn't sure even existed. As they got to some of the fancier areas, people were walking around wearing silks, brightly coloured feathers, furs...she was even sure she saw some woman walking around with an egg in her hat of some description. It was difficult not to laugh; she looked like she was walking around with a nest on her head! Still, people here seemed to consider that 'style'.

They got to the theatre and dismounted, hitching up their horses. Going inside, they were taken aback by the finery. Mary-Beth and Kieran walked up to the desk, looking up to the sign.

"So, what's playin'?" Kieran asked the assistant behind the counter. The assistant just pointed to the sign. "Uh..."

"Don't worry about it; just...do like we practiced." Mary-Beth told him. "Just try and sound out the words."

It took Kieran a fair while to read out the titles, making those waiting behind them in the queue a little impatient. Sadie rolled her eyes and stepped up.

"Three tickets to that one." She said, pointing to one of the titles. She didn't really care what they saw, and she wasn't sure how much Mary-Beth and Kieran would either. The assistant slid three tickets to them.

"That's a dollar fifty." He told her. Sadie's knees almost buckled right there.

"A DOLLAR FIF..." She started to yell, before seeing everyone staring. She just handed over the cash. "You, this better be the best show I ever saw in my life. You...you owe me!"

Having suitably warned Kieran, she went into the theatre with them. There was a large screen on one end, and chairs lined up. People seemed to be rushing to get the middle seats, which Sadie assumed to mean they were the best. She didn't really bother that much with that. As Mary-Beth and Kieran found seats in the middle, she slipped into a seat behind them nearer the back, where she could see them.

The place filled up quickly, something that Sadie was surprised by given the prices. She made sure she had a good view of the couple. A guy sat down in front of her, at which she leaned forward.

"I'm sorry; could you take your hat off please?" She asked him. "It's blocking my view."

"Find another seat then." He replied gruffly. Sadie just laughed a little, before leaning right into his ear.

"Let me rephrase. You can put the hat in your lap, or you can eat it." She told him. He just gulped, before removing the hat and placing it in his lap. She just patted him on the shoulder. "Good choice mister."

A guy in a tailed suit came out, sitting by a piano as someone turned down the lights. Seeing Mary-Beth and Kieran settling into their seats, Sadie decided to take a glance at the screen. Her jaw dropped as she saw it.

She had heard of the moving picture shows, but she had never seen one before. Drawings came to life, telling a story while the pianist hammered out a tune that accompanied the action. She was amazed to say the least, and her jaw was almost on the floor as she stared at it. How was this even possible? She'd even heard someone was talking about a device that would let someone see these shows at home...but how in the world that would work she had no idea.

She was distracted as a rowdy group started to act up. She cast a look over bad-temperedly. They were jeering and throwing out lewd comments at the screen. No one seemed to want to approach them after they sent the usher packing. She was about to forget all about them when one of them pointed and spoke up.

"Hey, ain't that...ain't that Kieran?" He asked. The people he was with all started to look over. There were three of them that Sadie could see, and it was a little worrying that they all started looking over, checking him out.

"Yeah, that's him, the turncoat bastard." Another of them stated. Sadie immediately knew that this could be trouble. One O'Driscoll looked like another to her, and it wasn't like they advertised who they were until it was too late to do much about it. "Who's that he's with?"

"I think that's one of them Van Der Linde girls." The third said. Sadie got up from her seat, apologising as she made her way to the aisle. She kept low, creeping up, trying not to disturb the other viewers.

"If they're here, then the Van Der Lindes have to be close." One of them said as Sadie moved closer, unclipping the strap on her holster. She got as close as she could, her hand on the handle as she got right behind them. "Hey, if we follow 'em..."

Sadie didn't need to hear anything else. She pulled out her revolver, stepping in front of them and swinging the handle into one of their faces with a satisfying crunch. He clutched his face, while Sadie reached across; punching another to make sure she got their attention. She gave them a moment to realise they had been attacked before running for the exit, bursting through the door.

She ran from the theatre, shoving people out the way as she went. Getting out into the street, she looked around frantically for somewhere to go. Now she had their attention, now they were coming for her, she needed to figure out where to deal with them without drawing too much attention. She saw an alley up the side of the theatre and ran there, just as the three men spilled onto the street. She could hear them coming up behind her.

She got into an alley away from the street, running into a dead-end. She turned around, just as they found her.

"You broke my God Damned nose mister!" One of them stated.

"Pretty soon I'll have done a lot more than that!" She yelled in response, rushing towards them with a savage yell. She pulled out her revolver as she ran towards them, tackling one of them to the ground with a savage yell, planting the barrel straight under his chin before pulling the trigger, spreading his brains over the cobbles.

The other two were going for their guns, apparently stunned by the fact she had chosen to attack rather than try and flee or beg. Another couple of shots saw off the second, before she pumped the remaining rounds straight into the last one's gut. He fell to the ground, screaming out in agony, screaming out threats about how Colm was going to hunt them down, how he was looking for them and was going to come for them. Adjusting her grip on the revolver, holding it like a knuckle duster, she mounted him and started raining down punches, smashing his face into a bloody pulp until he stopped kicking. She knelt breathlessly over him, before becoming aware of a sound above her. She looked to a balcony, seeing a couple of people there, just staring.

"Shit!" She grumbled, before pulling up her bandana over her face and starting to run.

"MURDER!" One of them screamed. "MURDER!"

She got onto the street, where she heard a piercing whistle and saw the police officers looking around. They seemed to identify her, not surprising since she was now drenched in blood! She figured Mary-Beth and Kieran would have to make their own way home; right now she needed to make sure she didn't lead the police right to their doorstep!

The city was like a maze, one that was a struggle to get out of. The main street seemed to have more law on them than any place she had ever seen in her life, while the back alleys seemed to have been designed by a drunk, constantly leading to dead ends or blind turns that she had to negotiate more by luck than anything else. She finally got to one street she recognised, heading towards the harbour, and found the stagecoach driver sitting, waiting on a fare. She ran towards him, jumping onto the side. She pointed the gun at him.

"Drive!" She told him.

"Hey, you can't..."

"Drive or I drive it myself and then what do I need you for?" She yelled. "DRIVE!"

"Where to?" He asked.

"ANYWHERE BUT HERE?" She yelled at him, sliding inside the cab. "Just go!"

The driver whipped the horses and started to trundle out of the town, just as the police arrived, looking around for Sadie. She just hunkered down inside the stage to stay out of sight until they were outside of town.

When she got to a clear stretch of road, she got out, looking around.

"Alright, you just get goin'." She told him. "Ain't no need for you to get shot."

"Where do you want me to...?"

"Do I look like I give a shit where you go? Just get out of here and don't look back!" She declared. The driver just nodded before trundling off. Sadie waited until she was sure he was gone, before making the long walk back towards the camp.

By the time she got there, she was a little surprised to find that it was a lot livelier than when she had left. Javier was playing the guitar, people were drinking and laughing, it seemed like there was a party going on! She approached the gate, finding Micah standing guard.

"Quiet night?" He asked her with a knowing smirk, noticing the blood on her. She just sighed.

"Shut up Micah." She responded as she headed into the camp. She did make a point of stopping by the wash basin to get cleaned up. As she did though, she could see the reason for the lift in everyone's mood. Abigail was holding Jack, dancing around with him in her arms like she would never let him go again. John was grinning brightly as the others congratulated him. She was about to join the party when she realised her clothes were still covered in blood. She grabbed some spare clothes from her baggage, before heading inside to get changed. She was just finishing up when she heard the door closing behind her.

"Quiet night?" Arthur asked her.

"It had its share of excitement." She replied, turning to look at him. "I'm guessing you heard?"

"Well, we had our own excitement too, but...not as much as you I'd wager." He said with a knowing little smirk. Sadie just groaned.

"And no doubt Dutch knows..."

"Oh, he knows...and for what it's worth, he's impressed." Arthur assured her. "You didn't bring your trouble into the camp. That's the main thing."

"I do feel like my feet are about to drop off and I have to get Javier's horse back..."

"Oh, Kieran managed to bring her home; you don't need to worry about that." Arthur told her.

"So, I see you got Jack back." Sadie replied. "So, how many of Bronte's guys did you have to...?"

"Actually, Mr Bronte was most amenable." Arthur interrupted her. "In fact, listenin' to Jack talk about his 'Papa Bronte', it sounds like he took a real shine to the boy. You wouldn't know he'd been kidnapped at all the way he was talkin' about how he got taught Italian and given his own room and lots of toys."

"Really?" Sadie asked.

"In fact, we didn't need to fire a single shot." Arthur told her. "Well, not at Bronte anyway. He just asked us to deal with some grave robbers and then let us walk out with Jack without a hair on his head out of place."

"Really? That's it? Deal with some grave robbers and he just let you walk out without a word?" She asked him sceptically. Arthur nodded.

"Even invited us to some fancy party at the mayor's house." Arthur told her. "He's definitely up to somethin', but we got Jack back with hardly any fuss and for now, that's for the best."

"I guess so." She replied with a smile. "We should probably get out there before the party ends."

"Mrs Adler, I have something for you." Arthur told her. Sadie turned back to him. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a harmonica. "I had a...discussion...with a pig farmer back near Flatneck Station. It was...well...let's just say he ain't gonna need this anymore."

Sadie reached out for it, hardly able to believe that Arthur had even remembered their conversation, much less that he'd actually go out of his way to get it for her.

"Here, I got a hold of a harmonica for you. I look forward to hearin' you play it."

Sadie just looked to it in her hand as he gave it to her. It wasn't much, much like the one Jake had got her it was a simple little thing, but it brought back to her all those times she used to sit, trying to figure out how to play it for her husband, who was always delighted to hear it no matter how it sounded. She put it away.

"The only audience I ever had was my husband and I'm going to keep it that way." She told him. She was grateful for the gift, something that brought back some of the wonderful memories she had of her old life with Jake, but she wanted to keep it just for her. Arthur just shrugged.

"Fair enough." He responded.

"But thank you, Arthur. This was real kind of you." She said gratefully. He just smiled.

"Well, I figured it would do you a lot more good than it'll do him now." He told her. He just flicked a thumb over his shoulder. "I'm gonna go join the party before it ends."

"That sounds like a fine idea Mr Morgan." She replied as she followed him out of the house. "So, you're goin' to the mayor's house? Really?"

"Apparently." Arthur chuckled, thinking about the ridiculousness of the situation. "Some of the most dangerous, wanted men in the country are being invited to a garden party by the mayor!"

"So, tell me Mr Morgan, how is it when I go into the city to chaperone a young couple courtin', I end up bein' chased by half of the law in the state, and somehow you and Dutch manage to shoot up and rob half the state and end up becomin' deputies and even gettin' an invitation to the top table in the state?"

"What can I say Mrs Adler? We just have a gift." He answered.

As they were heading for the middle of the camp, Sadie could remember seeing Kieran standing near the edge of camp, watching Mary-Beth as she danced with young jack, welcoming him back to the camp. Kieran watched for a while before turning and heading out towards the woods. Sadie didn't follow him though, her attention distracted as Arthur gestured to her, indicating he wanted to dance. He held her and they started to dance with the rest of the camp, while Javier played long into the night.

Little did she know then, that was the last time anyone would see Kieran alive.


	19. Busy Work

As morning came around, there were a lot of sore heads, unsettled stomachs and no one was moving particularly quickly. Jack was the only child in the camp, but the Van Der Linde Gang was so much of a family that they all felt like a piece of them had been returned when he came back. Not only was he brought back to them, but he was back with not a scratch on him. If anything, his captor, Angelo Bronte, had treated him more like a guest than a prisoner. They were fully expecting a fight of legendary proportions, but in the end, he was back with them without a single shot needing to be fired.

Pearson put a dish full of scrambled eggs down in front of Sadie, at which she noticeably got a little greener and balked a little.

"Do you have to be so loud with the plates?" She asked him. "And where's the damn coffee?"

"Feeling a little delicate are we Mrs Adler?" Pearson teased her. She just glared at him.

"Bill had some of the Braithwaite's moonshine left over." She muttered. "I swear to God, if I never see another drop of that as long as I live I'll die happy."

"You just haven't built up the constitution for it." Pearson chuckled, patting his large belly. "Trust me, a steady diet of navy rum and you'll survive just about anything."

"I have a feeling that the cure would be worse than the illness." She said as Pearson got her some coffee. Mary-Beth was wandering around the camp, speaking to people in turn. Most of them just waved her off, clearly all still suffering the effects of their celebration the night before. She came over to the table.

"Looking for some breakfast?" Pearson asked her.

"Have either of you seen Kieran?" She asked. "I can't find him anywhere."

"Are you sure he's not in the camp?" Sadie asked her. "I don't think anyone's in much of a condition to go far this morning."

"Maybe he went fishing?" Pearson suggested. "I think I heard him and Javier talking about wanting to try out some spots up on the bayou."

"Javier's still snoring his head off." Mary-Beth said, looking a little concerned. "But…I guess he does love fishing. He was saying how he wanted to land a catfish."

"Well, there you go then! He's probably off trying to find us a nice big catfish…"

Sadie hurriedly turned away and picked up a bucket, vomiting into it loudly. She swept her mouth with her sleeve, before looking to them both.

"Please, no more talk about food?" She begged them. Just then, they noticed Arthur approaching Hosea, who was quietly drinking some coffee a little way off.

"Hey, Arthur, come on." He greeted him.

"If we're gonna make it to this party, we sure as shit better clean up some." Dutch replied, coming out of the manor house, carrying some cash from the camp tithing box.

"So we're doin' this?" Arthur asked.

"Oh yeah." Hosea replied. "Old friend Dutch Van Der Linde has finally shown his true colours. Social climbing."

"Old Signor Bronte that horrendous snake has invited us to the ball, Cinderella." Dutch responded with a grand gesture. "So my suggestion is we go get you a gown!"

"You son of a bitch." Arthur muttered. Hosea looked over the camp.

"Bill, get your ass up! You're coming too!" He yelled. Bill barely even stirred from where he was lying, propped up by a tree, only a low, droning snore any indication he was still alive. "Javier, Lenny, you see if you can't rustle us up some appropriate transportation for this evening."

As they slowly mounted up, Bill almost slipping off completely to the other side in his current state, before riding off towards the city, Sadie just looked to them, flicking a thumb in their direction.

"They're still goin' to that party?" She asked.

"From what I've heard old Signor Bronte pretty much runs everything in Saint Denis." Pearson explained. "It's been a long time since I was in that neck of the woods, but from my days in the navy…"

"Pearson, I am WAY too hungover to hear another 'when I was in the navy' story." Sadie complained.

"WHEN I was in the navy!" Pearson reiterated, apparently taking a certain level of satisfaction in her current plight. "I dealt with his kind a couple of times. They like to think of themselves as all…gentlemanly. He invited us so he can figure out our intentions in 'his town'. He'll take it as an insult if we don't go and they take that kind of thing real seriously."

"So, we need to ask politely for his permission to go robbin' in his town?" Sadie asked. He just shrugged and nodded.

"Basically, yes." He answered. Sadie just shook her head.

"So, while they're playin' at dress-up, what are we meant to do?" She asked him.

"Well, until Dutch smooths things over with Bronte, it's probably best to avoid causing any trouble in the city." Pearson suggested. "So, unless anyone's got any jobs outside the city to take care of I guess we just have a quiet day."

"Quiet…you said the magic word." She said with a smile, taking a seat by the table. "You uh…don't happen to have any idea what could help a hangover do you?"

"Oh, so now you WANT my old navy expertise?" He asked. She just sighed and nodded. "Well, like I said, eventually we just built up a resistance. A lot of ports it was safer to drink the local hooch than it was the local water so it wouldn't be the first time we overdid it a little. For me? I always swore by bacon."

He looked across to where Karen staggered over to the back of the wagon, picking up a bottle, before unscrewing the top and wandering away again, gulping down whiskey.

"It looks like Karen believes in the hair of the dog that bit her." He said a little sadly. Sadie just nodded.

"It's gettin' bad isn't it?" Sadie asked him.

"It's getting hard to tell what are her good days and what are her bad days." He agreed. Sadie thought about it for a moment, before getting up.

"Say, Pearson, what was the name of that guy at the post office in Rhodes?" She asked.

"You mean Alden?" He asked. Alden was a contact Arthur had made in Rhodes though Trelawny. The post office was responsible for much of the way of life in the country by that point in time, being not just where people would send and receive their mail, but also acting as the train station, the telegraph station and even overseeing the timetables for stage coaches and delivery wagons. However, even in 1899, public sector workers were not especially well paid and the mounting workload led to a lot of workers starting to get resentful and look for other ways to make money. In Alden's case, he would slip people who were willing to pay tips on when deliveries of valuable goods would be passing by. Sadie just nodded.

"Yeah, that's the feller." She told him. She figured that perhaps giving Karen something to do other than sit in camp all day drinking would help. She didn't believe for a moment that just her and Karen would be a great idea, the sad fact is while Karen was a strong gun, between her current mood and the drinking she wasn't sure she wanted to have to rely solely on Karen.

John, Abigail and Jack hadn't left their room. Since getting him back, John was spending a lot more time with Jack than she could ever remember seeing him before. Although it was only the previous night, he had spent virtually every moment since he returned from Bronte's mansion with them. She didn't want to interrupt that. She knew that John had trouble with the family thing and she didn't want to get in the way of that when he was finally starting to face up to it.

With Bill, Lenny, Arthur and Javier away getting set-up ready for the party, that didn't leave many options. She wouldn't want to go on a job with Micah if she could help it. Uncle…she wasn't sure she'd seen Uncle move, and at times wondered if he was alive. When she saw Mary-Beth still wandering around the camp, asking around for Kieran, she eventually got an idea.

"I'll see you around Pearson." She told him. "Karen! Mary-Beth! Get on your horses, I'm goin' to see about some work. You come too Tilly. No point you sittin' around doin' nothin'."

A little while later, they were back in Rhodes, outside the post office. Sadie was sitting outside with some chewing tobacco while Mary-Beth and Tilly stuck close by. Tilly still didn't feel particularly comfortable going anywhere alone in and around Rhodes, while Mary-Beth just wanted to keep her company. Mary-Beth looked to Sadie.

"Maybe one of us should have gone in." She suggested. "Karen's been in there a while."

"All she needs to do is get the tip from Alden." Sadie reminded her. "If there's one thing Karen can do it's get men to tell her stuff. Shit, if we give her long enough she probably won't even have to pay him."

"I don't know, I don't like this." Mary-Beth said, beginning to shuffle around uncomfortably. "It wasn't that long ago…"

"And we weren't with them." Sadie cut her off. "As far as anyone knows, we're just a bunch of women here to collect a letter or hire a stagecoach or somethin'."

Rhodes still bore the scars of the shoot-out. The Braithwaites and the Grays ran virtually everything there, but the shoot-out didn't just leave bullet holes needing repaired. The sheriff's office was currently unoccupied, still awaiting someone to replace Sheriff Gray. The population had taken a significant hit, and it wasn't as though things had gotten back to normal in only a few days. Sadie was well aware that Rhodes wasn't exactly welcoming of strangers before but now, they were getting more than a few looks.

Karen came out of the post office, carrying a piece of paper. She put it away as she pulled out a hip flask.

"Well?" Sadie asked. "What did he say?"

"He said there were some red wagon comin' along that road there about three." She said in an off-hand way, taking a swig. "Something about some big house sellin' off some valuables to an auction house."

"Right…OK, I think I know a place we can set up an ambush." Sadie said, thinking about it. "Mary-Beth, Tilly, you act as a distraction, get out into the road and start makin' some noise, sayin' how you're stranded or somethin'…you know the kind of thing. Karen, you and I will handle the guns. We all got it?"

"Are you sure about this?" Mary-Beth asked.

"Come on, the wagon will already be loaded! All we need to do is take it to Seamus and we're done!" Sadie told her. "It'll be a couple of hours' work and we'll go back to camp with some cash, maybe enough to cover what the guys are pissin' away on fancy suits for that party."

They rode up the path a little way, finding a nice deserted stretch of road. Sadie had been by this way and knew it had some good cover at the side of the road. They would be able to set up an ambush very easily. Sadie got her repeater ready, before sending the horses away a little from the road. No one would believe that Mary-Beth and Tilly were stranded if they could see horses.

"Alright, Karen, we should go get into those rocks over there." Sadie told her. "Mary-Beth, you and Tilly should…"

"Sadie, there's a wagon coming!" Tilly yelled.

"Shit, they're early!" Sadie rushed out, pulling up her bandana and leaping into action. The others didn't need an instruction to snap into action. Karen, Tilly and Mary-Beth all trained guns while Sadie stood in the middle of the road, blocking the path of the wagon.

"Whoa there, hold up!" Sadie barked as she pointed the repeater their way. The driver halted the horses while he and the passenger held up their hands. "Get off the wagon! Go on, I ain't jokin'!"

The two men leapt off the wagon and immediately started running. Sadie raised her repeater to the air as they left.

"See, what did I tell you? Just a walk in the park!" Sadie said casually as Mary-Beth and Tilly went to the wagon. "Alright, what do we have?"

"Uh…nothing." Mary-Beth told her. Sadie just looked confused.

"What? No, that can't be right, let me see!" Sadie said as she went to the back of the wagon. She looked inside, only to find to her annoyance that Mary-Beth wasn't exaggerating. There was literally nothing in the back of the wagon. It was completely empty! "Damn it Karen, are you sure about this wagon?"

"It's a red wagon!" Karen protested half-heartedly as she lit up a cigarette. She just shrugged. "That's a red wagon ain't it?"

"Well, it's also meant to be full of valuables from a manor house!" She shot back. "I may not be an art critic, and I know rich folks pay a lot for weird junk but last time I checked they don't pay for thin air!"

"Maybe the tip was off?" Tilly suggested.

"But the wagon is here." Mary-Beth reminded them.

"Give me that!" Sadie said, holding out her hand. Karen handed over the piece of paper, at which Sadie just looked at it. "Red wagon, Smith and Winchester…yada yada…heading South along the road at 3 PM."

Sadie just sighed and looked to Karen.

"What?" Karen asked.

"South? At 3PM?" She asked. "This wagon is heading NORTH! Karen, you didn't read the whole tip, we've hit the wagon too early!"

"What?" Karen asked.

"It's heading the opposite direction a couple of hours early?" Sadie asked. "They were goin' TO the house! God Damn it Karen, the wagon's empty cause they ain't even collected the delivery yet!"

"No wonder they were so quick to abandon the wagon." Mary-Beth responded. "No point risking their lives for an empty wagon."

"Shit!" Sadie said, resting against the side of the wagon, chewing some tobacco. She thought about it for a moment. "Wait, the manor house is still expectin' the wagon…"

"Oh, no, I know that look." Mary-Beth said with a worried expression on her face.

"What look?" She asked.

"We call it the 'Arthur Morgan' look." Tilly explained. "It means you're coming up with a plan."

"They're expecting the wagon, odds are they never saw these fellers before." Sadie said, gesturing down the road. "We've got the wagon now. Maybe if we go to the manor and…"

"Sadie, I see where this is going, but I really don't think it's a good idea." Mary-Beth told her.

"But we can just go there and…"

"Sadie, how many removals firms do you know have all-woman crews?" Tilly asked her. "If a bunch of women turn up they'll know something's wrong."

"But…but the valuables…"

"The delivery company will probably just send another crew once those two get back to town." Mary-Beth told her. "Look, we already got the wagon, maybe we just need to take this as a learning experience and get this to Seamus. That'll at least be a few dollars right?"

Sadie hated the thought of missing out on a big score. They had jumped the gun and as a result had missed out on what could have potentially been hundreds of dollars. As she looked to the others, who were waiting expectantly for her response, she finally started laughing.

"Well, you've got to admit, at least it beats the hell out of spendin' all day in camp." She chuckled, willing to just cut her losses and chalk this one up to experience. All things considered it could have gone a lot worse. "Come on, let's go drop this off with Seamus and get back to camp."

Later in the day as they returned to the camp, they found a stagecoach there waiting. It was a little bit of an unusual sight, normally they'd consider bringing something like that back with them a bad idea. However, it was all part of the show for Bronte's benefit. Lenny was standing next to the stagecoach in a suit, laughing and talking with Javier about the job ahead.

"Lookin' good there Lenny!" Sadie teased him as she approached. "Look at you lookin' all fancy."

"Oh, you think I look fancy, you should see what Dutch bought for the others." He chuckled. "You know, if it wasn't for the fact we're probably gonna by robbin' half the folks at that party blind I'd probably be pissed about bein' the driver."

"Hey, at least you're goin'." Javier reminded him.

"Now boys, you know not to take things personally." Dutch said as he wandered out of the house in a magnificent three-piece suit, with a large, top-hat on his head. He'd clearly visited the barber too, because his moustache was styled and his hair trimmed for the occasion. Dutch was always very dapper, and took a pride in his appearance, but to look at him now they'd think he was running for office. "You know if it were up to me, every person would be judged purely on their actions. But for now, we have to play along with Bronte. There will be plenty of time to kick them in the pants later. Gentlemen! Are you all ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Bill said bad-temperedly. He couldn't have looked less comfortable if he tried. It seemed like they had spared no expense in the tailors, but he had apparently decided to forego the barber, instead only putting some pomade in his hair. He had a look on his face like a child that didn't want to get into their church clothes. Hosea was a little way behind him. By complete contrast, Hosea couldn't look more like he belonged. His gift was to seamlessly shift from one environment to another.

Bringing up the rear, Arthur came out of the house. He had gone for the whole treatment. Sadie let out a little whistle as she saw him.

"Now, Mr Morgan, this is quite a sight!" She commented.

"Don't you start." Arthur grumbled. "I already heard the whole routine from Abigail."

"Oh, come on now, just because you're becomin' a gentleman and all." Sadie replied.

"Now, a gentleman would have invited you along." Arthur said slyly.

"Oh, I'd have gone but some of us are puttin' some work in." Sadie answered. She looked over to where Mary-Beth had gone back to asking if anyone had seen Kieran and Karen was already starting on another bottle. She sighed. "I just…felt like some of us needed a little time out of the camp."

"Yeah, I appreciate that." Arthur told her.

"Arthur!" Dutch called out, gesturing him into the coach. Arthur just groaned.

"I'm comin' Dutch!" Arthur growled. He looked back to Sadie. "I'll see you tomorrow Mrs Adler."

"Have a good time at the ball Mr Morgan." She responded as he got onto the coach and Lenny cracked the reins. Pearson came across, offering her a bottle of rum.

"I know you were a little delicate earlier Mrs Alder, but…" He said, at which she took the bottle off him.

"Thanks Pearson." She responded, taking a swig. "I think I found my remedy. A little work, and a good laugh."


	20. Horsemen, Apocalypse

The following morning, Sadie was at a loose end. Pearson had been out in the swamps, gathering crawfish and so he had opted that today he was going to treat everyone to his gumbo. It was a family recipe that he wanted to keep secret and so he had actually banned Sadie from the kitchen. Not that she objected, but what it did mean was that she didn't really have anything to do. Although the job the previous day hadn't gone badly, strictly speaking, it certainly had been a bit embarrassing, especially now that word had gotten around the camp how she managed to rob an empty wagon. The members of the gang that hadn't gone to the party at the mayor's house had a good laugh about it and shared stories about some of the jobs they had pulled that were a little embarrassing. It was a little good to hear she wasn't the only one that had come up a little short on a job. There was always an element of a gamble involved in robberies, but it still made her think it might be worth waiting a little before planning another job of her own and learn a little more about how the guys put together their jobs.

She couldn't help looking over to where Mary-Beth was by the horse station, grooming the horses. She couldn't remember ever seeing her doing that before, but since it had now been two days without anyone seeing Kieran, she figured that she was just trying to keep his duties ticking over until he returned. She didn't know where Kieran could have gone, the night in Saint Denis was the first time she could remember him even leaving the camp, for him to be gone for two straight days was a little out of character. Hell, it was a LOT out of character! She couldn't think why he would have gone out on his own. The only reason he could be convinced to go out with Mary-Beth was if Sadie was there to act as a bodyguard. She could understand why Mary-Beth was worried. If she was honest, she was starting to get a little worried too. Kieran liked fishing, but he wouldn't go too far from the camp, and who the hell went fishing for two straight days?

She was busy sharpening her knife on a whetting stone, preparing her weapons for if one of the others had a job.

"How you doing, Mrs Adler?" Arthur asked as he came across.

"How are you?" She asked in response. "It's been quite a journey since I…well, since I joined you fellers."

"Yes." Arthur said as he sat down with her.

"And now you and Dutch have joined high society?" She teased him, taking a little delight in his reaction as she referred to the party. "My Lord above."

"Yeah, it seems so…" Arthur grumbled. He wasn't dumb by any measure. He didn't get to his position in the gang by just rushing in with a gun in his hand, but it was clear there were times when he got frustrated with some of Dutch's more complicated schemes. There was a lot to be said for the approach of keeping things simple on a job. The less moving parts in any scheme, the less there was to go wrong. She'd learned that herself with the very simple mistake of not verifying the tip she'd received from the post office.

"I think my days in polite society are over." She said, holding up the knife and inspecting her work. She dragged a finger across it to check the edge.

"Well, I just saw Bill Williamson at a party at the Saint Denis' Mayor's house." He reminded her, eliciting a little chuckle from Sadie. She knew that Dutch only brought him along as muscle, it wasn't as if he was what anyone would consider a high society type. "If he can do it anyone can."

"You get any leads?" Sadie asked, bringing the subject back to business. She had gone on a fair number of jobs lately, but she was hoping to work up in the gang now that she was getting a reputation for her work.

"Yeah, I think so." Arthur told her.

"You know so Arthur Morgan!" Dutch said as he came up the steps with a spring in his step, looking as excited as a kid on the first day of his holidays. Sadie had seen a couple of moves now, and knew that he was always this way shortly after arriving in an area and seeing the opportunities available. It was just a case of trying to sort out what opportunities he wanted to take on first and which ones he wanted to wait a little while to take on. Although he'd played nice with Bronte for now and even been given 'permission' to pull a few jobs, it wasn't much like Dutch to pay much heed to what someone else said he was allowed to do. "Come on, we need to talk! Mrs Adler, will you excuse us please?"

"When are you gonna let me come robbin' with you Dutch?" She asked. This was a bold question, as the head of the gang, Dutch was very selective not only about the jobs he personally went on, but who he took with him. Being asked to go with him was an endorsement that was worth more than any cash payoff. Dutch let out a little laugh.

"My Lord, a few more like her, we could take over the whole world!" Dutch said, giving her a little wink as he stepped inside. It wasn't quite a straight up 'yes' but it was certainly on the way to that.

"A few more like her, there wouldn't be much of a world left." Arthur joked as he followed him inside. Sadie just smiled, taking the comment in good humour. Dutch had to have been hearing about the work she was doing for the gang, and the fact he wasn't just immediately brushing off her intent to come on one of his jobs had to suggest he liked what he was hearing about her.

It was strange how that made her feel. Sadie had never really been one to seek the approval of others. Hell, even as a young girl she'd never really been much interested in what other people thought about her or what they had to say about her. Her own parents had learned that trying to get her to 'act like a lady' was a futile effort when she punched out one of the school bullies at the tender age of six.

However, something was different about Dutch. He never seemed to try to impress on other people how they should be. Sure, he was all about his own philosophy and he was all too eager to preach the Gospel of Van Der Linde but his view was all about personal choice and individual freedoms. As long as everyone in the camp did their fair share of the work and contributed to the camp, not only did he not really care about their differences, where they were born, who their parents were, what if any God they believed in, who they loved…He actively celebrated their right to embrace these as they saw fit. When he had seen Sadie for the first time after she spent some of the camp funds on her new clothes, the only comment he made was to compliment her on her taste.

She had found herself coming to respect Dutch for his world view. It was in many ways what she and Jake had sought when they got their homestead. Just their own little place in the world where they could do as they damn well pleased. Dutch had a much grander version than that, believing that the world should be like that. His words at first sounded like those of a preacher, like many that she had tuned out over the years, especially as they proclaimed that she should be meek or mind how she spoke or act, but as time went on, more and more of what he said made sense. She even shared with him his more ferocious side. Although she had been angry to hear about him trying to make peace with Colm, his reaction when Arthur returned, beaten within an inch of his life, showed a great care that he had for all his family. He would go from sitting at Arthur's bedside, dutifully willing his son back to health, and proclaiming his terrible vengeance on those that did that to him.

She was strangely flattered to think that Dutch seemed to notice her now, and wondered if he really was close to bringing her in on his jobs. A part of her wished for it, more than she had wished for the approval of her real parents. He didn't see her as a child to be shaped, he saw her as an equal to be embraced. She wondered if the day was coming soon when he would ask her to ride with him.

Her attention was caught as a horse started to ride into the camp. There wasn't much unusual about that, the members of the gang came and went all the time, but what was unusual was that the horse seemed to be trotting slowly, lazily, unspurred by its rider. Something else caught her attention. The clothes…they were covered in blood. She squinted as she tried to see who it was, something else caught her attention too. It was only then that she saw the grisly truth. The rider's head had been completely severed!

The body was sitting upright in the saddle, his hands tied in front of him, and in his hands, he was cradling what she could only assume was his own head. The eyes had been gouged out in a sickening display, making the scene all the more gruesome. She got up slowly, staring at the scene. It was difficult to make out the identity of the rider. It wasn't long though before someone answered that question as Mary-Beth let out a horrific scream.

"It's Kieran!" She screamed. Sadie felt a cold chill running through her whole body. She had seen him at the camp gates before he left two days ago. No one had seen him after then.

"What the hell have they done to him?" Arthur yelled from the balcony.

"Look, there in the tree line!" Dutch roared. Sadie looked up, and sure enough men in canvas masks were breaking out through the trees. They weren't wearing the uniforms of the Lemoyne Raiders. They certainly didn't dress up fancy like the Braithwaites or the Grays. Their clothes were hard-wearing, ragged and dirty. "EVERYBODY TAKE COVER! O'Driscoll boys are comin'!"

The first shots rang out, and everyone started to dive for whatever cover they could get. The members of the gang snatched up their weapons, returning fire wherever they could. Sadie could already see Mary-Beth and Jack, who had been up near the horses were caught close to where the bastards were coming in. Drawing her revolver, Sadie opened fire, hitting one just before he could grab Mary-Beth, letting her run for the house.

She could see John running out the house, heading for where Jack was hiding by some barrels. She immediately started to provide cover for him. John snatched up his son in one arm, retreating with him amid a hail of fire. Everyone nearby was raining down bullets to cover their escape as he went. She could dimly hear Dutch calling something out, some kind of order or instruction, but it was drowned out by the deafening beat of her own heart. The O'Driscolls were here, they were all around her, and they were coming for the gang…She couldn't let that go. Months of searching and they had come to her…and she was going to kill every one of them!

She couldn't honestly remember much of what happened after that point. Since that day, she could only recall flashes, brief images, but mostly it was just visceral memory. The heat, the warm steel in her hand as the gun fired round after round…unable to let it cool even between re-loads, it just got warmer and warmer in her hand. The smell of cordite, thick, choking smoke that smelled faintly like eggs. It was like something took over her, all reason left her. Like looking through someone else's eyes she couldn't feel anything other than her own hatred as she cut down everything in her way.

She was grabbed by one of them, who started dragging her towards one of the out-buildings.

"Who's this lady here?" He asked, holding her tightly as she struggled. "Dutch always did have a fondness for…"

A couple more closed in on her. She could only think of that night in the homestead, what they did to her, the way they… NO! It wasn't happening to her, not again! NEVER again! She'd sooner force them to kill her than let them take anything more from her! Before she knew it, her knife was in her hand. It was a blur of flashing steel, warm blood and screaming. She could faintly hear someone shouting out her name, but she was too busy ramming her knife anywhere she could find flesh to bury it. There was no expert butchery here, this was primal, every blow going in right to the hilt, sometimes even further, but quickly she found the last of her attackers falling before her. She was breathing heavily as she became aware of someone standing nearby. She turned around, but instead of another O'Driscoll, she found Arthur standing, just staring at her.

"Sadie?" He asked. "Why didn't you get inside?"

It was a good question. That was the sensible thing to do. The house was a defensible position. Bill, as much as he wasn't the deepest thinker in the world, had been all too happy with the move to Shady Bell, to an actual building because it provided cover, the upper floor gave them high ground and good firing positions. Only a handful of people could well hold off an army in there. She was still breathing heavily as she looked to Arthur.

"And miss all this?" She asked him, retrieving her revolver from the grass, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "Come on Arthur!"

"Now we go back!" Arthur called out to her. "We need you in the house, Mrs Adler!"

Sadie wasn't listening though. She wasn't going to cower in a house waiting for them to come to her. She turned her attention to O'Driscolls trying to break in through some windows.

"They need us in the house Arthur!" She yelled, emptying out empty cartridges and reloading before continuing her rampage. "Just die won't you! Bastards!"

She couldn't remember when the tide started to turn, but as she came around back towards the front of the house, other members of the gang were now starting to come out, and the O'Driscolls were running for their lives. They had been turned back and were in full flight. Sadie wasn't content to just let them go, and neither did it seem were the others. More fell as they ran, gunned down as they ran away. The air was thick with smoke, hot and difficult to breath, scratching in her throat as the last shots were fired and the air starting to once more fall silent.

"COWARDS!" Dutch yelled up the path after the lucky couple who managed to escape the slaughter. The fury in his face was undeniable, they had come into his home, for his family, and yet he restrained himself, his first responsibility being to those in the camp. He wanted to ride down the few survivors as much as anyone else did, but first they had to ensure the camp was safe. He turned to the gang, who were assembled behind him, still clutching their weapons.

"We okay?" Hosea asked as he replaced his revolvers in their holsters.

"I think so." Dutch replied a little wearily, with concern in his voice. He looked around, and it quickly became clear what he was doing. He was seeing who was still there, who was on their feet. She could see him making a tally as he picked out everyone in camp, satisfying himself they were all where he could see them. Once he'd checked on the living, his attention could now turn to the dead. He started to walk over to where Kieran's corpse had fallen from the horse when it panicked as the shooting began. "Except for Kieran here."

The gang started to gather around him, looking down on him. Tilly put her arms around Mary-Beth, holding her as she stared at him in horror. Dutch knelt by the body.

"Ugh, poor kid." He declared, looking ill at the thought of what had to have been done to him. On closer inspection, there were a lot more injuries than the decapitation and the eyes being gouged out. There were bruises, cuts, burns all over his body. It had to have taken almost a day to do this to him. Kieran had always been fearful of Colm catching up to him, and seeing this it wasn't hard to see why. Dutch removed his hat, bowing his head briefly in respect. The others all did the same, before Dutch put his hat back on and stood up. "Mr Pearson, Mr Swanson, would you take this boy and bury him near…but not too near."

"Of course." Swanson said, looking to Charles. "Charles, help me with the body."

"We need to get this place cleaned up." Hosea declared. "Mr Pearson, Ms Grimshaw!"

"Already takin' care of it!" Ms. Grimshaw told him. Come on now, work!"

Dutch, John, Hosea and Arthur gathered around to discuss what to do. Sadie didn't mean to stick around and listen in, she just…didn't really know where to go or what to do right now. Her heart was still pounding from the battle.

"Colm O'Driscoll." Arthur declared. "That man can really hate!"

"So, can I, Arthur." He assured him coldly. "So, can I. We need to get moving, get away from here."

"So, you think we should start looking for another camp?" Arthur asked. It was a good question. If Colm knew where they were, then it would only take until he recruited more bastards to follow him until they came again, and if there was one thing that was becoming clear, it was that there was no shortage of sick, sadistic bastards willing to follow someone like Colm. The one saving grace was, after his failure to deliver Dutch to the Pinkertons when he took Arthur, it was unlikely he'd be able to go back to them unless he planned on fitting his own neck for a noose. Unfortunately, there was little chance a battle of that magnitude would go unnoticed, and it could only be a matter of time before word spread.

"You ain't thinkin' big enough Arthur." Dutch said to him, looking out his pipe, but being unable to find tobacco. "You are not seeing the vastness of our problems and our opportunities."

"I'm not sure I get you." Arthur muttered. Sadie wasn't sure she could see where Dutch's thoughts were going either.

"You will, son." He assured him. "You will. Meet me, near the trolley station. We've got work!"

Arthur just looked to John and gestured to an O'Driscoll corpse.

"Shall we?" He asked.

"Yup." John replied. Together, they both picked up the body. Sadie went to one of the corpses, pulling off his hood and checking the face. It wasn't Tom, she didn't recognise him at all. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, seeing Dutch standing over her.

"Mrs Adler, would you walk with me a moment?" He asked her. She just nodded wordlessly as she got up, before walking with him towards the shore. He finally found some tobacco, beginning to load his pipe. "You…you alright Mrs Adler?"

"I guess so." She answered. He just looked to her, looking her up and down. It was only then she checked her clothes and saw what he was looking at. She was covered in blood, almost completely head to foot in it.

"You hurt?" He asked her. She just shrugged.

"Most of it ain't mine." She assured him. "I…don't think so anyway."

"That'll wear off eventually, once the rage calms down." He told her. "Be sure and get yourself checked out."

"I will." She promised him. Dutch started patting down his pockets, at which Sadie realised he was looking for a match. She found a packet in her pocket and lit one up, offering it to him. He leant in, allowing her to light his pipe, taking a couple of puffs.

"You handled yourself well Mrs Adler." He said, the warm glow of his pipe lighting up his face. She could hear a soft, warm tone in his voice, one that sounded like something she hadn't heard in a long time. "I've been hearing good things about you, but now I got to see it first-hand. I'm proud of you Mrs Adler."

"I…I…" She stammered, unsure of how to answer him. She had never sought the approval of others but hearing those words from him, she could feel her chest, a warmth rising in her that made her smile a little despite what had just happened. "Thank you, Dutch."

Dutch looked to the camp, before looking back to her.

"I don't think it's a secret our time here is short. I'm looking to make a new life for us, somewhere that the Pinkertons and the law and all those other things can't reach us. This land, these United States…they ain't the land that we were promised no more." He told her. "But before we go, I promise you, we will end this thing with Colm O'Driscoll once and for all."

He put a hand on her shoulder.

"And when that day comes, I promise you, you will be riding with me." He assured her sincerely. "Before we depart this land, we will see Colm and every last man that follows him dead."

He looked to the camp once more.

"Check the corpses before you dump them." He told her. "See if the man that took your dearly departed Jake is among them."

With that, he headed for The Count, mounting up and heading for Saint Denis. She watched him go, before turning and heading back for the camp.

Back in the present, Sadie and Levin arrived back in Doyle's Tavern, hitching up their horses outside.

"I lost count of how many corpses I checked that day. I made sure I checked each and every one of them before we dumped 'em in the swamp." She told him.

"None of them were Tom?" He asked. Sadie shook her head.

"I don't know if he were one of the ones that escaped, hell to this day I don't know if he were even there, but I know that he weren't one of the ones we dumped in the swamp." She told him as they headed inside, taking up a stool at the bar and gesturing to the bartender for a drink. "Believe me, the gators ate well that day."

"So, if I may ask, about Kieran…"

"Kieran. Yeah, that were…" Sadie's words tailed off with Levin just asking about him. She looked deep in thought as she cast her mind back to those days. "There were a few questions about what happened, how Colm had got to him, how much he'd told him…Micah had a theory or two, needless to say he weren't too flattering about him. Said he was a coward that told Colm everything to try and save his own skin."

"You don't sound like you believe that." Levin told her. She just shook her head, downing her first drink before gesturing for another.

"I saw him the night of the party, he left the camp." She told him. "I think he went lookin' for Colm."

"You think he went looking for Colm?" Levin asked her. "That he would have tried to kill him?" She just shook her head.

"I reckon when he saw them O'Driscolls in the city he knew it wouldn't be long before they came lookin' for him." She replied honestly. "I think about a lot of the things he said and the way he were acting…I think he went out that night knowing he weren't comin' back. I think he went there hopin' if Colm got him…"

"He'd not keep looking for the rest of you." Levin replied. Sadie just pointed to him and nodded.

"I still remember seein' him and Mary-Beth on that night in Saint Denis. That's how I like to remember him." Sadie said with a smile. "He were one of the sweetest things I'd ever seen. I still think back on some of the things I said to him and how I treated him when I first knew him. I still regret a lot of it. He were the furthest thing from an O'Driscoll I could imagine ever seein'. I can't do anythin' about that, but…I don't know…I guess in the end, I were at least glad I had the chance to make peace before the end."

She banged her glass on the counter.

"Barkeep? Two meatloaf when you get a chance." She told him. Levin was busy scribbling down what he had heard. Sadie went back to her thoughts. "Turns out Kieran touched a lot more of us than I realised. Arthur regretted the fact he couldn't save him. Bill…I reckon Bill started to like the kid. He was upset about how he treated him, but he started to be a little less of an asshole toward the end. Mary-Beth…yeah, she were upset. It were clear she really liked him. I reckon if things had been different." She just shrugged.

"So, Dutch was determined to go after Colm?" He asked.

"He was." Sadie told him. "But he had a couple of things to do, get some cash ready to leave the country. Funny thing is, even though I'd never thought about leavin' the country before, it's not like I had any love of it anymore. Once Colm and Tom were dead, leavin' it behind didn't sound like such a bad idea. Dutch had a couple of leads for big jobs in the city."

She took a deep breath.

"But…like a lot of things back then, that were about to really turn to shit." She told him.


	21. Bronte's City

Days passed at the camp. After the O'Driscoll attack, the focus was split between ensuring there was enough people at the camp to repel another attack, sending out people to listen out for leads on where the O'Driscolls were, and trying to get some work done. Dutch was still adamant that they were getting together money to leave the country. He'd started talking about some place called Tahiti, describing it as some kind of "unspoilt paradise" where they could disappear and start a new life. He'd tell tales about starting a farm where they would grow bananas and mangoes and how all of them would live in the independent and free manner that the United States was meant to have promised them when they first arrived.

Sadie didn't rightly know where Tahiti was. Hell, she wasn't even sure she knew what a mango was. By context she figured it was a fruit of some kind, but for now, she didn't really care. She would no doubt find out what mangoes were like once they got there, but everyone in the camp knew that it was an ambitious plan to say the least. Two dozen people all getting passage on a ship where the captain wouldn't ask questions wasn't going to be cheap even before they considered how they would fund setting themselves up once they got there. Sadie couldn't really say there was much she would miss or regret leaving behind. Everything she cared about was buried in a pile of ash up in the mountains. All she cared about was Dutch's promise that before they left, they would settle things with the O'Driscoll's once and for all.

They had attacked with a force and ferocity so strong that it did give everyone two thoughts. The first was that it demonstrated exactly how much Colm was willing to throw at them, how deep his hatred for them all was. They had stopped counting the number of corpses they had thrown into the swamp. Of course, the fact he had thrown so many at them meant his numbers had to have taken a big hit. He never seemed to find any shortage of bastards willing to sign up. The promise of keeping whatever they got their hands on was all it needed for some people. They'd even heard rumours that some people had started to come into the area specifically looking for Colm to sign up. Of course, it would take a while, which gave them some breathing room, but that didn't mean they wanted to just wait around and give him the chance to hit them again.

It did limit what they could do, since they needed to split their focus so much. Hosea was out checking out the possibility of hitting the bank. It was an ambitious gamble, a huge case of risk and reward. A big city bank, full of security in one of the most heavily policed cities in the country was a pretty tall order before anyone even considered the fact that by the nature of how Saint Denis ran, a significant amount of the money in the bank would have to in some way be tied to Bronte. For now, they had to play nice, make it look like they were following his "rules" and respected his city. Dutch had even asked them to give Bronte a slice of the earnings from the jobs they allowed to do, honouring his "tribute" system to show him the proper respect until they were ready to take everything that wasn't nailed down and leave for good. There was a distinct air about the bank job. They were excited for the prospect of what the take would allow them to do, but with Blackwater still fresh in a lot of their minds, it wasn't as though anyone was starting the party any time soon.

Micah had been sent out to find out what he could about the O'Driscoll's and their whereabouts. Right now, they insisted on at least three of the strong guns being in the camp at all times, one of them with a rifle in the house. Today, that fell to herself, John and Bill. In the meantime, Dutch had taken Lenny and Arthur into Saint Denis to pull some job in the city Bronte had "given" them. Something about the trolley station.

Her time in the camp did give Sadie more time to take stock over things. John, Abigail and Jack had never seemed closer. While John would often send Jack away or try and find a way to excuse himself, now he was never sending Jack anywhere. Any time Jack wasn't with Abigail, he was following John around, and John was not only allowing him to, but he was actively trying. It was a little difficult between them. Jack would try to explain about his books and his stories to John but while it was clear it wasn't something John had little to no knowledge or interest in, he was really trying to listen and take interest, asking about the stories. As reluctant as he had been in the role, going so far as to deny Jack for most of his early life, he had never seemed more like a father.

Bill was up on the balcony with his rifle, keeping lookout. Kieran's death seemed to hit him unusually hard. Bill had been the one all too eager to threaten Kieran with the gelding tongs when he first came to them and he had been one of the enthusiastic participants in his torture. Even when the gang had come to accept Kieran as one of them, Bill was all too cheerful about teasing and tormenting him around the camp. That said, over time that had all started to ease off. She'd even seen him drinking with Kieran, talking about horses with him. Like many in the camp, she imagined Bill felt badly about the way he had treated him before his death. A lot of people felt that way, expressing some regret that they could have treated him better.

Karen was pretty much coping the way she always did, which was to say not at all. Sadie wasn't even certain she realised that anything had happened. She had been part of the battle, providing fire from the upper floor of the house, but after that, she had gone straight back to her daily routine of going from sleep to the bottle and back again.

Mary-Beth had her own retreat, but instead of retreating into a bottle, her retreat was writing. Mary-Beth was always writing in her journal before, but now it was like no one could stop her. Arthur had found her a fountain pen on one of his trips, a good, strong one. Which was just as well because the rate she was going Sadie was sure she would have gone through dozens of cheaper pens in only a few days. She was, however, going through a lot of writing materials. She'd already filled several notebooks and people kept finding scraps of paper with her writing pretty well everywhere. Sadie didn't really know what she was writing about, but one of the notes she did find once by her own tent seemed to be telling some kind of tale about a lady of a manor and her romance with a servant. It wasn't really Sadie's taste, but she couldn't help smiling about it. She didn't quite understand what Mary-Beth was getting out of it, but it was a hell of a lot healthier than anything Karen was doing.

Leaning against the wall at the side of the gate, Sadie kept her eyes on the track leading into Shady Belle, taking a quick drink from her canteen. She heard the trundle of a wagon coming, and immediately put it away, snapping up her repeater. All of the wagons were in the camp, so they weren't expecting anyone else.

"State your business!" She called out, aiming up the path. She started to ease up as she saw Lenny driving, holding up his hands.

"It's us!" He called out. "Dutch is hurt!"

Sadie just waved them through. She could see that Lenny's clothes were messed up, and Dutch also seemed to be a lot less dapper than normal. Blood ran down his face onto his shirt from a wound in the side of his head.

"Dutch is hurt!" Sadie yelled, following the wagon in. "Pearson! Swanson, get your asses over here!"

"I don't need anyone fussin' over me!" Dutch said bad-temperedly as he started to climb down from the wagon, stumbling a little as he went. Pearson caught him, but he quickly shrugged him off. "Get off of me! I don't need anyone fussin', the only thing I need is that greasy, condescending Italian shit!"

"Bronte?" John asked as he arrived. Dutch looked to him with a violent fury in his eyes.

"Yes, Bronte! He set us up!" Dutch barked as he pulled out his pipe, only to find it broken. He threw it away. "Someone get me a damn cigar! Where's the whiskey?"

"Dutch, you need to calm down!" Pearson told him. "I need to have a look at…"

"I have survived far worse than this Mr Pearson, you can stitch me up when I damn well let you! WHISKEY! CIGAR!"

Everyone followed Dutch over to the camp table, where he sat down, a cigar and a bottle of whiskey being put down next to him. He quickly lit up the cigar, before looking to the assembled gang all around him.

"Bronte set us up." He told them. "The trolley station only had pocket change in the safe. The law were on us in minutes, they had to know we were coming."

"Maybe…maybe you were just unlucky?" John suggested. "We've all seen what that city's like, there are law on every corner!"

"You weren't there John; they came at us from all sides!" Lenny told him. "They were in the alleys, on the balconies, on the rooftops…it's a God damned miracle we got out!"

"Arthur!" Mary-Beth gasped. "Oh my God, Arthur! Is he…?"

"Arthur is just fine!" Dutch assured them. "He parted ways with us in the swamp to make sure we weren't followed."

"We wouldn't have got out if it weren't for him." Lenny added.

"Why the hell would Bronte do that to us?" John asked. "We ain't done nothin' to him."

"I think he just wants to make sure everyone knows whose city this is." Dutch told him. "I think it's clear that we can no longer assume Mr Bronte will just stand aside and let us take what we need."

"What do you want to do about it?" Javier asked him. Dutch looked to him.

"I think you know what we HAVE to do." He told him. "Mrs Adler, would you and Javier like to go out and take a little look around Mr Bronte's house, just…see how the man lives."

"You know it Dutch." Javier replied, nodding towards Sadie.

The two of them mounted up and rode out, heading for the city. By now, they knew that Bronte's men would have to be expecting a response. It wasn't as though he wouldn't have heard that Dutch, Arthur and Lenny had gotten away. The city still bore the scars from the incident, and when they arrived, there were still wagons being loaded with the dead.

"I was hopin' Lenny was jokin' about how much shit went down here." Sadie commented, watching another police officer being thrown onto a wagon.

"We need to keep things quiet." He replied. "Even the cops that aren't in Bronte's pocket will be jumpy after all this."

Javier wasn't wrong. A lot of police had been killed in the chaos. Those that were on the streets could be seen to be incredibly agitated. There were a lot of eyes on them as they made their way through the streets, the police paying a lot more attention to the comings and goings of the populace than normal. Sadie sighed as they saw some guy in overalls being shoved against a wall by a cop while his toolbox was turned out onto the pavement.

"What do you suppose the odds are people in the rich neighbourhoods are bein' treated like that?" She asked him. Javier snorted in derision.

"Trust me, it's nothing new." He told her. "It was exactly the same back home."

"Have enough money, people just look the other way and pretend you couldn't possibly have done people wrong." Sadie remarked. "I've yet to meet anyone with money that never needed to stomp on someone to get it."

"Ain't that the truth." Javier replied. "That's the place, right up there."

"The one with all them guys stompin' about out front tryin' not to look like guards?" Sadie asked him. "Yeah, I figured as much."

"They look edgy, and they look like they'll be too friendly to people hanging around." Javier said with a nod as he guided his horse off the road. Sadie followed him, hopping off her horse and hitching up with him. He gestured her around the side.

"Keep low, keep it quiet." He told her. Sadie did as she was told, following him as he headed around. The house was huge, larger even than the mayor's residence, and had a high wall all the way around. The front had a huge, secure gate and people patrolling at the front.

"As much as I'm sure Dutch is itchin' for a fight, I reckon the front door probably ain't the way to go." She stated.

"You and me both." Javier said, stroking his moustache thoughtfully. "Come around this way."

They started to make his way around the complex, keeping low and out of sight. Javier smiled as he saw something around the back.

"Just as I thought." He stated. "Like all the rich houses up here, they have their own jetty. Those rich folks, they love their boats."

Javier and Sadie crept around, carefully making their way onto the jetty. They started to come around, peeking around the end of the wall.

"Doesn't look like too many folks come around this way." Sadie said. "Guess the gators are better guards than…well…guards."

"Or at least Bronte seems to think so." Javier agreed. "Might give us a way in."

"Great, now all we need is a boat." Sadie commented. "So, where do we get one?"

"I think I might have an idea." Javier told her. "But uh…we want to move quick. I don't want to be around there after dark."

Sadie followed him, a little curious about that remark. There weren't terribly many things that made Javier nervous. He sure as hell wasn't the kind of guy that was afraid of the dark of all things. Mounting up, she followed him as he took her back out of the city and into the swamps, and deep into the woods there.

The swamp quickly got dark and foreboding as they made their way through. The trees blocked a lot of natural light, meaning that they spent a lot of the time in a kind of foreboding gloom.

"Stay close." He told her.

"I don't need protectin'…"

"I…uh…yeah, right." Javier said nervously. "I didn't mean anything by it. Just, the roads here are pretty overgrown and the light…it's easy to get lost…"

"Ain't you the jumpy one?" She teased him. Just then, there was some kind of bird call that made them both look around. Javier had already pulled out a sawn-off shotgun, a reaction Sadie noted. He squinted as he tried to look deeper into the woods, before satisfying himself they were alone and putting it away. Sadie didn't question him on sticking close again. In fact, she emptied the standard rounds out of her revolver and replaced them with express rounds. She had a feeling it wasn't the dark he was afraid of.

"So, what's out here?" She asked him.

"I don't know for sure, but I've heard a lot of crazy rumours about this place." Javier whispered as they made their way through. "Swanson said somethin' about a ghost…"

"I reckon the only spirits Swanson sees come from a bottle." Sadie remarked.

"Normally I'd agree, but he ain't the only one that said weird things are out here." Javier told her. "I heard a lot of people say that folks go missing out here. Not just killed, but…missing. They don't get seen again."

"So, where are we goin'?" She asked him.

"A fishing village called Lagras." He told her. "I've bought some bait and got some fishing tips from there. There's a great bait shop out there. The whole village is all about fishing."

"Around here I ain't surprised." Sadie told him. "Is that it up there?"

"I don't think so?" Javier said, furrowing his brows as they noticed some wooden buildings. "Maybe we got turned around, I don't recognise this road. We should go back and…"

"Javier, if we head there, we can spot Lagras from the shore." Sadie pointed out. "If it's a fishin' village it'll be on the banks, right?"

"I guess." He answered, following Sadie as she made her way along. As they got closer though, it became clear that they were most definitely in the wrong place.

"What in the hell?" She asked as they rode in. By the edge of the village, there were stakes in the ground, topped with human skulls. The buildings were all in disrepair, and looked like they had long since been abandoned. There was no sound to be heard here, it was clear that the village was long since abandoned. "Javier, by any chance is this anything to do with why you're so jumpy?" He just nodded in response.

"This must be Lakay." He said quietly. "Stauss was telling me about some of the things he heard about this place. Apparently, something really bad happened here once. There're stories about people that went crazy, became something…less than people."

"This place really gives me the creeps." Sadie said, feeling her skin crawling just being here. "I say we find out which way to Lagras and get the hell out of here."

"You won't get any arguments from me." Javier said as they headed for the shore to get their bearings. Sadie took a long look around, seeing another village a little way off.

"OK, I reckon that's it." She told him, before looking around. "Javier?"

He was nowhere to be seen. She pulled out her revolver.

"Javier, this ain't funny!" She snapped. "Javier, where the hell are you?"

She almost jumped out her skin as he appeared from the undergrowth. She held her hand over her chest.

"Jesus Javier, don't do that!" She told him.

"Nervous, were you?" He teased her.

"No, I nearly blew your God damned head off!" She responded, gesturing to the revolver. Javier just nodded.

"Yeah, uh…sorry." He replied, showing her some herbs. "I was just picking up some Oleander. I always like to get some when I'm in the area."

"You nearly got your head blown off for some damn flowers?" She asked him.

"They're not just flowers." He told her. "These pretty little pink flowers have a deadly secret. Coat blade in the oils from them and…well…let's just say it brings down whatever you hit with it a lot quicker."

"How about we just get to Lakay and source ourselves a boat?" She asked him. "Frankly, I'd be happy if I never had to come back here."


	22. Big Plans Big Risk

Javier and Sadie rode into Lagras, taking the path nice and carefully. Out in the swamps there were many hidden dangers. Whether it was snakes hiding in the long grass, soft mud that was difficult to navigate in the event they needed to move quickly, murky waters that hid all kinds of dangers or even the gators, which were just lazing around all over the place, sometimes only barely visible in the undergrowth, this place seemed to almost be designed to act as a trap to kill off the unwary.

The "town" of Lagras was not much to look at. In fact, on a glance it was only barely in a better state of repair than Lakay. The damp swamp did not do the wooden houses any favours and the recent-looking repairs indicated it was only really regularly rebuilding and replacing anything that started to succumb to the ravages of the weather and environment that stopped it falling into the same state. There was someone up on the roof of his own house ripping out old wood and replacing it as they arrived. As they rode into town, people slowly, but surely started to notice them and fall silent. They were aware of people staring as they rode into the middle of the town. After a long moment of them staring, sizing them up, Javier decided it was time to speak up.

"We're looking for a boat!" He called out. This didn't seem to put many of them at any ease. In fact, it looked more like people were actually a little more confrontational. Sadie slipped her hand back to her holster, unclipping the strap quietly, but bringing her hand clear until she could see what their intentions were.

"There are boats." One of them finally said in response, but they could tell how cagey he was being. There weren't especially many boats, and between the amount of fish lying around in crates, where people had been unloading them when they arrived and crayfish traps, it wasn't tough to see that fishing was pretty much the only livelihood in Lagras. The only other business they could see was a bait shop. If everyone was a fisherman, then it was understandable they'd be defensive about their boats. It was the lifeblood of their trade. Although there was no official rule in camp about pretty much anything, taking another gang member's horse or touching their guns without asking was a good way to earn a pretty stiff beating, one that no one else would be in a huge hurry to break up. She'd once seen Bill picking poor Kieran up off the ground and screaming at him that he'd break every bone in his body when he accidentally knocked his rifle over reaching for some meal for the horses. The people of Lagras seemed just as protective of their boats if appearances were to be believed. Javier pulled out some money.

"We were looking to charter someone for a trip." He clarified, making sure that they understood he wasn't intending to take the boat. Of course, if push came to shove, Sadie doubted that the gang would have many problems doing just that, but for now it wasn't like they had any real desire to keep the boat once they had made the trip to Bronte's place. "We're willing to pay good money."

"Charter?" One man asked, stepping forward and spitting on the ground. It occurred to Sadie that she couldn't actually find where he spat…then again she doubted it was the worst thing they could step in walking around the "streets" of Lagras. He was an older man, probably somewhere close to Hosea's age, with dark, leathery, weathered skin, the hallmark of years of the swamp's environment and outdoor living. Sadie could have counted the number of teeth he had with the fingers of one hand if she'd had a mind to, and he was wearing hard-wearing dungarees which were caked in mud and damp, but neither seemed to bother him. "What d'you want to do that for?"

"Sightseeing." Sadie answered in an abrupt way. The old man just eyed her suspiciously.

"Sightseeing?" He asked her, slapping his neck and inspecting his hand. "Ain't nothin' out here to see but mosquitos and gators."

"Maybe we like mosquitos and gators." Sadie suggested. The man inspected them for a moment before laughing. Quickly others joined in.

"I like this one." He commented. Sadie and Javier came over, Javier shaking his hand. "Name's Thomas."

"Javier." Javier introduced himself. "We were looking to hire a boat and a boatman to take a little trip."

"That much you said." He responded. "Where exactly do you want to go?"

"Anywhere but that shit hole down that way." Sadie said, flicking a thumb over her shoulder. Suddenly everyone fell silent. She couldn't help looking around. "What? What'd I say?"

"You two went to Lakay?" He asked, the worry obvious in his voice. Javier just shrugged.

"We got turned around." He told him. "It was the only other village we could find."

"You got lucky. If you're smart, you won't go back there." He said sternly. "You're lucky the Night Folk didn't get you."

"Night Folk?" Sadie mouthed to Javier. Javier just shrugged. There were a lot of stories about this place, but it was so inhospitable that it wasn't like there weren't plenty of reasons someone would disappear and not been found. They'd already passed about four half-eaten or bloated corpses on the river bank, no doubt unwary travellers.

"So, about that trip." Javier said, pulling out a cigarette and offering one to Thomas, who accepted. Javier lit one up for himself and the old man, taking a quick puff as he considered what he was about to say next. Sadie had to admit that it was more than a little impressive to see such negotiation skills from a man who only a couple of years earlier didn't speak the language at all. It was a testament to Dutch's teaching. "We'd be going further out than the swamp. Heading towards Saint Denis."

"That makes more sense than sightseeing around here." Thomas replied. "How many people?"

"How many can you take?" Javier asked him. He just shrugged.

"Got a skiff that'll take half a dozen, maybe a little more if you travel light." He suggested. Javier looked to Sadie, who just shrugged. They sure as hell wouldn't be travelling light if they were heading to Bronte's place. They'd be going loaded for bear! Javier started counting out some money, before handing it over to him.

"There's fifty dollars." Javier told him. Thomas' eyes almost popped out of his hand as Javier handed him the money like it was nothing. It was doubtful anyone around here saw that kind of money, maybe ever! "Call it a retainer. I have an associate I need to speak to. He should be along to discuss the details with you. He'll be along in time."

As they mounted up and rode away, Sadie saw the residents clamouring around Thomas, all eager to see the payoff he'd received. She had a feeling it wouldn't be too difficult for Dutch to convince Thomas to go along with their plan.

When they got back to camp, Javier disappeared with Dutch to tell him about their findings. Approaching Bronte through the city would be a suicide mission, but if they could get Thomas on board, then perhaps they could hit Bronte in a way that he didn't expect. Not long after their meeting, Javier emerged from the house with a bottle of whiskey in hand, and Dutch mounted up The Count, telling Hosea to get Arthur to join him in Lagras when he could. It seemed like Dutch liked the idea and had gone to check it out for himself, no doubt smooth over the details himself.

The next couple of days, there was a bit of coming and going. The gang was trying to avoid the city where they could, but there was still plenty of money to be had from various jobs on the surrounding roads. For now they were trying to lull him, and his pet police officers into a false sense of security, believing the bumpkins that he had double-crossed had tucked their tails between their legs and scampered off like scared hounds once they realised who the big dog in the area was.

One morning, she saw Arthur coming back, caked in mud and soaking wet.

"Don't ask!" He muttered gruffly as she walked past her. "Bill, John, Lenny, get your asses into the house, now. We've got work!"

She was curious what was going on, but everyone was pretty tight-lipped about it all. Bill, John and Lenny all rode out only about half an hour after speaking with Arthur, gathering up their weapons and enough ammunition for a small regiment on the way. Arthur took a little longer, emerging from the house a while later with new, clean clothes. He didn't stop to say anything as he got onto his horse and rode out. It was pretty clear to anyone that they were up to something big, and the fact they were headed into the swamp seemed to indicate that they were planning to hit Bronte.

The night felt incredibly long, and dragged out for ages. She understood the need to keep the party small, the skiff could only hold half a dozen people and naturally for such a potentially dangerous job with limited manpower she understood Dutch would want to reserve the positions for those that had the most stock in the gang. If Micah wasn't still riding around God knows where, she was sure Lenny would probably have been left behind too. She was leaning against the chuck wagon, her eyes trained on the path when Pearson handed her some cups of coffee.

"Will you take those inside to Hosea and Abigail?" He asked her.

"They talkin' about the bank job?" She asked him. Pearson just shrugged.

"They didn't look like they were discussing the weather." He said with a shrug, and the faintest hint of a smile. She just rolled her eyes and took the cups inside. When she got there, Hosea was looking at the map with her. Hosea was a meticulous person by nature. While he was more than capable of quick thinking, being a master conman, he was always happiest when he had the details planned out. He didn't just have a map, he even had little figured he had whittled out of some spare wood he found lying around. Sadie picked one up, inspecting it. It was made to look like one of the police officers she'd seen around Saint Denis.

"Hey, these are pretty good Hosea." She commented. He just gave her a withering look as he took it back from her.

"They ain't meant as toys Sadie." He reprimanded her, looking around the map and returning the piece to its place. Sadie hovered over them as they continued to discuss the map. It was a few moments before they realised she was still there. They both just stared at her.

"What?" She asked. "I ain't never seen a bank heist being planned before!"

"Well, that puts you in good company then, because none of us have hit a bank like this either." Hosea replied honestly. "That's why we've got to make sure we do this right."

"So, not just walk in and wave a gun around until you get what you want?" She chuckled, trying to have a little fun with him and the incredibly elaborate plan he had put together. He gave her the kind of withering stare that a parent gives a child.

"That's a good way to get everyone killed." Hosea replied a little sharply. "We've lost quite enough of our family in the last couple of months and I don't plan on losin' anymore on our final hurrah!"

Seeing the look in Hosea's eyes, she could tell she had overstepped a mark. It always hit the gang whenever they lost one of their number, but Hosea seemed to be taking it especially to heart. Like Dutch, he saw the gang as family, as his kids, and she got the feeling he was glad to think of this as their last job. He wanted them to have their new life, safe and free, and thinking of this as the last job seemed to appeal to him. It didn't escape her notice he was getting more and more weary of the life and especially the riskier jobs. She nodded contritely.

"I'm sorry, Hosea." She answered.

"Think nothing of it." Hosea replied. "Now, if you don't mind…"

"Well, would you mind tellin' me what you're thinkin'?" She asked him. He just sighed and picked up his coffee cup. "Oh, come on Hosea, just a little peek? I'd like to know what I'm doin'…"

"You'll be back here at the camp, ready to pack up and move out when we get back." Hosea told her. "Even if this goes according to plan we'll need to be gone quick."

"Aw, Hosea, you are shittin' me!" She complained. "I ain't goin'?"

"No, you ain't." Hosea told her. "Like I said, I want you here ready to…"

"You think I ain't up to this?" She demanded. "I am at least as good as any one of the men you're takin' on that job…"

"Yes, you are!" Hosea interrupted her. "That is not in dispute, but I want someone here!"

He looked to Abigail and jerked his head in the direction of the door. She picked up her coffee and left them alone. Hosea gestured to her to take a seat.

"Sadie, make no mistake, I have the utmost respect for you, and I am positive that if I took you on that job, you would fight as bravely, maybe moreso, than any man in this gang."

"Then why…?"

"But we need a strong gun with a quick mind here to make sure the camp is ready to move." Hosea told her. "There are maybe two other people I'd trust with a job that important and Dutch insisted on both of them going with us. Believe me, being left behind is no slight. It's a mark of the faith I have in you. I'm leaving you my family to take care of."

"I…I hadn't thought about it like that." Sadie replied. He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Sadie, if you're here, I know no matter what happens with the bank, my family will be just fine." He assured her. Sadie just smiled in response. Just then, the door opened and John came wandering in along with Arthur.

"I gotta tell you Arthur, I ain't exactly sensitive, but what Dutch did, that…that is some of the damndest shit I've ever seen." John said quietly, shaking his head. Arthur just nodded.

"Yeah, it was somethin' alright." Arthur replied. Hosea just cleared his throat.

"So, how did things go with Bronte?" He asked pointedly. It was no secret that Hosea and Dutch had clashed over what to do about Bronte. Given they were about to pull off the biggest heist the gang ever had in his own back yard, Hosea had urged caution, advocating the approach of playing contrite and humble, like they had 'learned their lesson' until they pulled the job right under his nose. Dutch had gone for the more direct option of taking care of Bronte before the heist.

"Dutch fed him to a damn Gator!" John blurted out.

"He did what?" Hosea asked.

"I swear to God! We snatched him out of his house, shot up a whole bunch of his men and his pet police, then just as we're on the bayou headin' back to Lagras, Dutch goes and shoves him right in! Drowns him right in front of us!"

"Jesus!" Sadie said before she could stop herself. It was just a reaction. She didn't even mean to say anything, but it just slipped out. Hosea got up from the table, heading out of the room.

"Dutch!" He called out, leaving the house in search of his long-time friend. John just sighed and shook his head.

"I should…really get Jack to bed." John told Arthur. "It's gonna be a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah, it sure is." Arthur agreed. As John left, Sadie watched Arthur pull up a chair and flop down into it. She just looked at him.

"Is everyone…?"

"Everyone came back if that's what you're askin'." Arthur told her. She just nodded.

"Well, that's good." She answered. "So, Bronte's feedin' the gators now is he?"

"Yeah, but I'll give him this, he didn't go out beggin' like a coward." Arthur told her. He lit up a cigarette and offered her one. Sadie, for once, accepted. It still stood as the one and only cigarette she'd ever smoked. She hated the smell, and the damn things burned at her throat as she inhaled. She never did understand what everyone loved about them. Arthur looked to her. "You know, he even offered whichever one of us would kill Dutch and let him go $1000?"

"He did?" She asked. "Jesus."

"Yeah." Arthur sighed. "There weren't one man on that boat that would take him up on it. That Bronte thought he could buy anyone or anything he wanted. Guess he never figured there were some folks who couldn't be bought."

Sadie could only imagine being there. A thousand dollars was a lot of money, a life-changing amount of money. A person could build a home and a life for themselves on that money. Yet, when the time came, the Van Der Linde Gang was worth more than any of Bronte's money. Sadie couldn't help feeling like if she was there, she'd have refused the money without thinking too.

"Anyway, it's a big day tomorrow." Arthur reminded her. "I'll see you in the morning Mrs Adler."

"I'll see you in the morning Mr Morgan." She replied.

The following morning was a hive of activity around the camp. Mary-Beth had already been into town to get the lay of the land following the attack on the Bronte manor. She'd brought home all the morning papers, which featured the attack prominently on the front page. The Van Der Linde Gang was now the hot topic in Saint Denis, which unfortunately was attention they could ill afford.

Pearson had pulled out all the stops, loading up everyone on a hearty breakfast of bacon and beans. Micah had somehow appeared back in camp, where from Sadie had no idea, but it was unnerving the way he always managed to just swan in and out for the jobs that suited him. Everyone in the gang was preparing their weapons and going over their roles in the job throughout the day. One or two of them even went to Swanson to say a little prayer and ask for a blessing before the job.

Sadie was sitting at a table with Hosea. He'd sought her out after getting dressed for the job. So they didn't look like a bunch of outlaws who'd just murdered the most prominent gangster in the city, Hosea had encouraged everyone to get dressed up in suits. He had once promised her he would teach her how to make exploding rounds, and today, it seemed, was that day.

"So, once you've got the animal fat in there, you just need to seal the tip and…there, I think you've got it!" He told her. Sadie just looked to him.

"That's it? That's all there is to it?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"Not as hard as it looks is it?" He asked. "One of these will pretty efficiently relocate someone's head."

"Thanks Hosea." She said gratefully. Hosea put a hand on hers.

"Mrs Adler…Sadie…I just wanted to make sure you know…"

"I do." She answered. "Leavin' me behind isn't because you don't have faith in me." She said.

"It's because I have nothing but faith in you." He told her. Micah walked past, sipping some coffee. "Some of the others out there…well…"

"Hosea! You ready?" Dutch called out. Hosea just got up from the table, straightening out his jacket.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He told him, before heading to a wagon with Abigail. Arthur was just coming out of the house, straightening out his suit.

"You got everything Arthur?" Dutch asked him.

"I think so." Arthur replied. Hosea climbed up onto the wagon.

"We rob ourselves a bank. Then in six weeks, we'll be living life anew in a tropical paradise, living out the rest of our lives as banana farmers." Hosea reminded them all.

"Let's get out of this God forsaken place." Dutch ordered as he mounted up The Count, pulling on the reins to turn him around. "And go rob ourselves a bank!"

With that, they all rode out, leaving Sadie to watch over the camp. There was a part of her that did feel left out, a part of her that really wanted to know what it was like to rob a bank. However, she couldn't help thinking about Hosea's words, about how he was leaving her to take care of the gang.

All these years later, she wondered if he knew what was about to happen.


	23. Saint Denis Massacre

The wait for word from the robbery was incredibly tense. Sadie kept an eye on the entrance to camp while the others started to pack up. She had no idea how things were going, and in many ways that was the worst part.

Abigail had gone with Hosea; she was part of the distraction. Sadie didn't really know what Hosea had in mind; he just explained that he wanted Sadie at the camp with the others to get them ready to move. No matter what happened, after today they needed to be ready to move quickly. Regardless of how the robbery went, between the hit on Bronte and the fact they were trying to rob the bank that housed the majority of the cash in Saint Denis, either way the law were going to ride on them like the Hounds of Hell when it was all over.

She pulled out a pocket watch, Lenny's. Lenny had a pocket watch that had been very special to him once. It had been given to his father by the man that owned him just before he freed all his slaves, and he had handed it down to Lenny. He had, unfortunately, lost it in Blackwater, but Arthur had gotten him a replacement. It wasn't the same, but Lenny treasured it, appreciating the gesture from a man he respected immensely. Before he left, he'd asked Sadie to keep an eye on it for him, because he didn't want to risk it being lost or damaged on the job.

She looked to the face, seeing that it had now been almost two hours since the rest of the gang had ridden out. Two hours, it was a long time when they were all no doubt being hunted. Between the O'Driscolls, the Pinkertons, Bronte's men and the Law, there was no shortage of people ready, willing and just itching to send a whole world of bullets their way.

Before she closed the watch, she couldn't help noticing something had been inscribed into it. It wasn't uncommon for watches to be inscribed, but since it was most likely Arthur had stolen it, she thought it would probably be some personal message to the previous owner. However, on closer inspection the lid had been replaced, and it had been inscribed with a message that had been signed by Arthur. She looked at the message, and smiled a little.

"Hey, Karen, check this out." Sadie said, but got no response. "Karen, look at this..."

Her words tailed off as she found Karen slumped against the side of the gateway, chugging from a bottle of whiskey. Karen was the only other gun left in the camp, so Sadie had asked her to stand guard with her. She rolled her eyes and kicked Karen's boot.

"Hey, watch it!" Karen slurred.

"God Damn it Karen, you're supposed to be standin' guard!" She reminded her. "That kind of requires you're able to stand!"

"There's no one comin'." Karen replied with a shrug. Sadie just grabbed the bottle of whiskey from her and threw it far into the woods. Karen got up and drew back a fist.

"Try it!" Sadie warned her. "See what happens."

"You ain't worth it." Karen muttered under her breath. Sadie just gestured wildly to the camp.

"If you ain't gonna stand guard then...go help the others pack! Do somethin' useful!" Sadie snapped at her. Karen just threw up a mock salute, before staggering away.

"Useless drunken idiot." Sadie grumbled. She figured the chances Karen would actually do something to help and not just find somewhere else to go right back to drinking herself into oblivion were pretty remote, but at least she wouldn't be in the way. Swanson, Pearson, Ms Grimshaw, Mary-Beth and Tilly were well used to packing up by now. Sadie put away Lenny's watch and went right back to guard duty.

She heard a huge explosion and saw a massive cloud of smoke coming from the city. Whatever had happened, it had to be pretty big if they could see and hear it all the way out in Shady Belle. Sadie just gulped.

"I hope to God that was you Hosea." She commented. Hosea had been very light on the details of the plan with her. He knew that Sadie wanted to go on the bank job, but he wanted her here to look after the camp. He'd taken Abigail out in a wagon that she'd seen had some explosives in it. It made sense to create a ruckus in the city to draw the law away from the bank, but even she had to admit there was a difference between creating a ruckus and making people suspect war had been declared.

Pearson came up to her, handing her some coffee.

"I figured you'd appreciate this." He stated.

"Thanks Pearson." She responded.

"The camp's pretty much packed up and ready to go." Pearson told her. "Which, uh...just begs the question, do you have any idea WHERE we're going?"

"Nope." Sadie replied, taking a sip. "Dutch weren't too forthcoming with that part of the plan."

"This is way too familiar." Pearson sighed. "Back in the Navy, it felt like we never had orders until about..."

"Pearson, I mean this in the nicest possible way, but I really don't want to hear one of your 'when I was in the navy' stories." Sadie told him. He just smiled and nodded.

"Fair enough." He answered. "I'm sure they'll tell us where we're going when they get back."

As he headed back inside, Karen took another sip of coffee. Right now, she wasn't sure anyone knew what came next.

A little while later, just as she finished her coffee, Sadie could hear a horse approaching, coming in fast, riding like the Devil himself was on its tail. She threw her cup aside and snatched up her repeater.

"Stop!" She called out. "Who goes...?"

She didn't get a chance to get an answer. The horse rode for her so fast she barely got a chance to register that it was Abigail and prevent herself from pulling the trigger on instinct, before throwing herself aside. Abigail rode straight into the middle of the camp, far past the horse station, and slumped, sliding off the horse, almost stumbling. Swanson caught her before she fell. Sadie ran back into the camp, gathering with the others around Abigail. Her dress was torn and dirty, she had numerous scratches and cuts from riding through the woods at speed. She also had a lot of nasty looking bruises, including a black eye, and her nose was running with blood.

"Abigail!" Ms Grimshaw yelled. "What happened? Mr Swanson! Mr Pearson..."

"It was the Pinkertons! Those two from Clemens Point, Milton and Ross!" She rushed out in breathless gasps as she desperately tried to gulp in air.

"The Pinkertons? Here?" Sadie asked. "They found us already?"

"No, they were already here! It was like they were waiting on us!" Abigail told them. "Hosea and I had barely arrived and then before we knew it, they had surrounded us! Milton started asking where the others were and when we wouldn't tell them..."

"Milton did this?" Mary-Beth gasped.

"He never did strike me as a gentleman." Sadie commented.

"I...I barely got away! Hosea, he fought them as hard as he could! He told me to run!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. "I...I wanted to stay, I tried to get him on the horse..."

"No, Hosea knew what he was doing. He knew you needed to tell us." Pearson answered. Sadie started to head towards her horse. "Mrs Adler...MRS ADLER!"

"I'm goin'!" She yelled at him, preparing to mount up.

"Mrs Adler, you can't just go..."

"You heard what she said; the Pinkertons are all over the city! They knew we were comin'!" She reminded him abruptly. "They need help..."

"Don't you think Hosea knew this could happen? Do you really think he sent Abigail here to tell us so you could throw the only gun we have left into that?" He asked her. "He asked you to mind the camp!"

"And the camp is fine! They ain't!" Sadie snapped.

"And how long do you think we'll stay that way if we stay here?" He asked her. "Sadie, I know you want to help, but this...THIS is how you help! The others will catch up when they can, that's what we do, but if you leave now...what Hosea did...it'll be for nothing."

Sadie didn't like it, she didn't like the thought of leaving her friends in the lurch, but Pearson had made a great point. Dutch had some of the strongest guns in the country with him. It wasn't like they were helpless, but right now; she was the only gun in the camp she could rely on. She finally relented and moved away from her horse.

"Alright, I don't like it but...you've got a point." Sadie stated, taking a deep breath and starting to think, considering their next move. "Alright...Swanson, Ms Grimshaw, see to Abigail, get her cleaned up and make sure she's alright. Pearson? Are we ready to go?"

"Just as soon as we figure out where we're going." He told her.

"Hey!" Molly protested. "Why's she barking out orders, telling us what to do?"

"Because someone has to!" Sadie told her. "Now, does anyone have any ideas...?"

"This is called the Van Der Linde Gang!" Molly stated. "Not the Adler gang! Who the hell are you to be barking orders at us? Who died and made you...?"

"Molly, we really don't have time for this right now!" Sadie yelled at her, grabbing her and shoving her to the ground. "Now, if you don't like it, no one is making you stay! You want to wait around for Dutch to come back, be my guest!"

"I think I might just!" Molly replied. "Who's with me?"

She looked around the other camp members. None of them spoke up. She just went to one of the wagons, grabbing some cash from the tithing box and stormed off.

"Alright, so, any ideas?" Sadie asked.

Unfortunately that was a real sticking point. They needed somewhere that they could lay low.

"We need somewhere far enough from Saint Denis that the Pinkertons won't follow, but near enough the others can find us." She said, beginning to mull over her ideas. "It has to be somewhere out of sight, somewhere we can defend, and somewhere we won't have any nosy neighbours to bother us."

"I...I...I..." Strauss started to stammer.

"Well? Speak up!" Sadie beckoned him.

"I might have an idea." He said nervously. "What about...Lakay?"

From the expressions on everyone's face, anyone would have been forgiven for thinking Strauss had pulled down his pants and dropped a shit right in the middle of the camp. Lakay was right in the middle of the swamp. Sadie had been there recently with Javier, and knew there were a lot of rumours surrounding the area. The swamp had lots of rumours of monsters and ghosts and suchlike. She could remember the village itself giving her the creeps.

"Are you crazy?" Tilly asked him. "We can't go there!"

"Why not?" Sadie asked.

"Because...well...you've heard..."

"I've heard the stories, and I've been there myself. It's a shit hole, and it gave me the creeps to no end." Sadie told her. "But if everyone's scared to go there, then it's perfect."

"But...what about the stories?" Mary-Beth asked.

"Look, we can worry about ghosts and ghouls and all that other bullshit if we see it." Sadie told her. "But unless anyone's got a better idea, if we don't get out of here now, we'll all be ghosts, so if anyone's got a better idea, by all means I'm all ears!"

She stood for a moment, waiting for suggestions. None came.

"Alright then, everyone mount up." Sadie told them, grabbing a pen and some paper. "We're moving out."

With that, she started to think of a way to leave a message for the others to give them an idea where they had gone. Although Pearson had told them the gang normally found a way to meet up down the road, she wanted to give them the best chance possible. A thought crossed her mind as she remembered the alias and she started to write.

"Dear Uncle Tacitus..." She said as she began writing out the letter.

It didn't take especially long to get to Lakay, it wasn't actually that far from Shady Belle, but being in the middle of the swamp, which most people avoided at the best of times, it may as well have been a million miles away.

It sure as hell was a million miles from the relative comfort of Shady Belle. Everyone was pretty quiet when they got into the village. It was abandoned, and it was clear it had been abandoned for several years at least. Many of the buildings were in a more than questionable state, and it was so silent, it was honestly terrifying. As they disembarked, the gang members looked around.

"Are those...skulls?" Tilly asked, pointing to some stakes set up by the edge of the village. Sadie just looked to her.

"Think of it this way, if this is how we fell bein' here, just think how scared shitless anyone else will be to follow us here." Sadie remarked. "Pearson, Ms Grimshaw...can you...?"

"Way ahead of you." Pearson said, beginning to set up. Sadie looked to the remains of the camp before her.

"Alright, none of us is happy to be here, but this...it is what it is for now." Sadie told them. "So we need to make the best of it. Now, I know we don't normally do this, but people are gonna have to do things a little outside their comfort zone for now. Everyone gets a turn on guard duty. We shouldn't be disturbed, but...that don't mean we can be careless."

She offered her repeater to Mary-Beth.

"You've got first watch." Sadie told her. "Abigail, you alright?"

"I'll live." She commented.

"Right, then you can come with me, figure out which of these buildings we can actually use for...well...anything really."

The first night, there really wasn't much in the way of a restful night for anyone. They had no idea what happened at the bank job, and there had been no word from the others. It did give them time to make the place a bit more hospitable. Pearson had set up the chuck wagon, the gang had figured out which buildings they could actually use to stay in and they were beginning to set up a routine for guard duty to make sure someone was always able to keep watch. While Sadie had little faith in Swanson to fight off much of anything, she could at least trust him to fire off a couple of shots in the air to wake up others that could.

The following day, Sadie was taking her turn on watch. The gang was making the best of things, but she knew that they had to come up with a long-term plan. They had enough funds in the tithing box to get supplies for a while, but that meant sending someone out soon, and it also meant that they would need to start figuring out how to bring in more funds soon as well.

She saw Swanson coming out of a cabin after tending to Abigail. Her wounds were superficial but the swamp was hardly an ideal place for the injured, and infection was a real concern so they had to keep careful eye on her condition. She was a little curious as she watched him head around the back of the cabin.

She got up and followed him around, finding him looking out over the swamp, his bible in one hand and his hip flask in the other.

"How is she?" Sadie asked as she approached. Swanson just looked to her.

"She's fine. She's more concerned about John." Swanson replied. "She's a strong woman that one."

"That she is." She agreed.

"I find myself surrounded by strong people." Swanson told her. "It makes me realise my own weakness."

"Swanson..."

"Don't worry; this isn't me feeling sorry for myself." Swanson said, opening his bible. She could see that it was hollowed out, and it had a syringe inside. "Quite the opposite in fact."

"Swanson, I can't do this by myself." Sadie told him. "Do you really think this is the best time?"

"I don't think there's ever been a better time." He said as he took both the syringe and the hip flask and threw them both into the river. "I want you to know, whatever you need..."

"Just help where you can." She told him. Swanson nodded his head.

"I'll try Mrs Adler." He assured her. "I'm not saying it'll be easy. There's a part of me that even despite the snakes and alligators already wants to dive into that river and start looking for them. I can't promise I'll succeed, but I promise I'll try."

"That's all anyone can ask, Reverend." She told him. Just then, a cry went up from the edge of the village.

"It's Charles!" Mary-Beth shrieked. There was a sudden rush as they all headed for the entrance to the camp. Charles had indeed shown up. He was definitely not looking good. He was covered in bruises and blood. His clothes, the same suit he'd been wearing to the job, looked like he'd been sleeping in the wilds in it.

"Charles! You found us!" Sadie greeted him, pleased to see him. Charles, normally a very reserved person, accepted a few hugs from the others who were delighted to see at least one of them return.

"Charles, what happened? Where is everyone?" Tilly asked.

"Don't badger him with questions; we need to check him out first!" Pearson stated.

"I'm fine, believe me." Charles told them. This was a bit of an exaggeration, Sadie was sure it was only his sheer size and strength that meant he was still on his feet.

"What happened Charles?" Abigail rushed out. "Where are the others? Where's John?"

"It...it was bad." Charles told them. "The Pinkertons, they were waiting on us. They were all around us. I've never seen so many..."

"Charles, sit down." Sadie told him, gesturing him to a crate so he could sit. She just looked to him. "What happened?"

"We went into the bank and then, before we knew it, Milton showed up." Charles told them. "The whole place was surrounded; it was like they knew we were coming. Hosea..."

His words tailed off as he looked around them regretfully.

"Milton shot him." He told them. "He shot him like a dog, watched him die right there in the middle of the street."

"Oh my God." Tilly gasped. "Hosea's dead?" He just nodded.

"Then the whole thing went to hell. They went for us all out...even brought a damn Gatling gun!" He stated. "They killed Lenny too. Shot him in the head while we were escaping. John...I still don't know what happened to him. They grabbed him while we were escaping the bank."

"John!" Abigail whimpered as she heard this. Mary-Beth was quick to grab her, to comfort her. Jack held onto his mother's hand, but Sadie could already see tears in his eyes too.

"He's alive...at least, he was this morning." Charles told her, throwing down a newspaper. The entire front page was dedicated to the robbery. The headline was 'Van Der Linde Gang cause carnage in Saint Denis.' Sadie picked up the paper and started reading. "It says he was arrested. What happened after that I don't know."

"What happened to the others?" Pearson asked.

"They were trying to escape onto a ship. I distracted some Pinkertons guarding it, drew them off. After that, I don't know." He replied.

"Charles, go get something to eat." Sadie told him. "The rest of you...I need to think. There's work to be done."

As they all left to absorb what they had heard, Sadie went to the chuck wagon and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, twisting off the cap. She took a long swig as she tried to consider what to do next.

Back in the present, Levin was scribbling down details furiously as Sadie continued to recant her tale.

"So, after the Saint Denis Bank job you fled to Lakay?" He asked her.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." She said. "But now we knew how badly it had gone south, we were left wonderin' what the hell we were gonna do next."

"So, what did you do?" He asked her.

"There weren't much we could do until we knew what the hell happened to the others." She responded, before gesturing to him to be quiet for a moment as a couple of men in suits walked in. She sighed as they turned and walked back out again. "So, we needed to figure out what to do, if there even was a gang. But there were one thing we needed to do first."

"What was that?" He asked her. She just smiled.

"Say what you will about the Van Der Linde Gang, but there were one rule they never broke back in the day." She said warmly. "No one got left behind."


	24. Heir Apparent

The rest of the day, into the next was an uncomfortable time in Lakay. Not because Lakay was a creepy, damp, bug-ridden shit-hole that no one in their right mind would want to go anywhere near much less live in, but because right now no one really had much idea what to do.

It was pretty clear from the moment Abigail came back to the camp, it was clear the job had gone badly wrong. No one knew how it had happened, but Milton and the Pinkertons had already been in Saint Denis waiting for them. It did raise a few uncomfortable thoughts that someone in the gang must have talked. Of course, no one wanted to suspect that as a possibility. The gang was a family. They looked after each other. They didn't talk, no matter what.

Sadie had never met Mac Callander, but she had met Sean and both of them had been captured in Blackwater. Neither of them had talked, even when it was clear that they would be put to a slow and excruciating death. While Sean had lived long enough to be rescued, Mac had not been so fortunate. Given the injuries Milton had been willing to inflict on Abigail, she could only imagine how much worse it would be if he had a little time and privacy to really get to work.

The only thing any of them knew was that Dutch and the others had gotten on a ship to Cuba, the Antenor. After that, no one knew anything else. They had no way of knowing how long it would be before they returned. Right now, the gang had to operate without them.

The gang, such as it was. Sadie couldn't help taking stock. The men had taken a lot of the weapons with them. They had a couple of repeaters, some revolvers and Ms Grimshaw had her shotgun. It was enough for everyone to arm themselves if needed at least. Now that Charles was back, she knew she had him to rely on. Karen...she wasn't so confident of. Sure, she was good with a gun but right now she was still spending most of her waking hours with a bottle in her hand and Sadie really didn't have the time to make her put it down. The others could handle a gun, it came with the life, but all things considered she would really appreciate having one of the others around. Javier, maybe even Bill...hell, right now she'd probably settle for Micah! Well, when she gave it second thoughts, maybe not Micah.

She saw Abigail tending to Jack...or maybe Jack was tending to her. She couldn't really tell. No one was certain about John's fate. He'd been arrested, they knew that much, but after that, there was no guarantee Milton would turn him over to the authorities. Abigail and Jack had to be worrying much the same thing. Milton had shown his capacity for cruelty. He'd tortured Mac and Sean, he'd beaten Abigail, and Hosea...poor Hosea. It still didn't feel real to her to hear that he was gone. He'd entrusted the camp to her, told her he wanted her to take care of his family. Charles had described to her in detail how he had released Hosea; let him walk into the street before shooting him like a dog. He'd even ensured he shot him in a way that prolonged his death. Charles, normally so stoic and strong was almost in tears when he recounted seeing him on the ground, moaning in agony as he slowly bled out, none of the gang able to do anything to help him.

She wiped away a tear. She didn't know what else to do about the gang's situation. The task before her seemed enormous. She needed to find a way for them to get supplies before they ran out, she needed to get them back to bringing in money, and she needed to get them to start thinking about what to do next...to get them thinking there even WAS a 'next'. But as she thought about Hosea, she got up. She had no earthly clue what the future of the gang was, but she at least knew what to do next.

"Swanson!" She called out, seeing him with Tilly, trying to comfort her and lead her in a prayer. She came across, gesturing him aside. He finished with Tilly, before going aside with her.

"What can I help you with Mrs Adler?" He asked her.

"Sadie, please." She beckoned him. "You're a preacher, right?"

"Well...yes, I am." He said, a little confused by where she was going with this. He was indeed a Reverend, that wasn't exactly a secret. Although he didn't have a congregation so to speak, really only the gang, he had been ordained quite some time ago.

"So, you've dealt with funerals, right?" She asked him. He just sighed and nodded.

"All part of the calling I'm afraid." He told her. "I like to think it's more about those left behind than..."

"What happens?" She asked him.

"Well, I talk to the family, find out what kind of person the departed was, what kind of things they liked and..."

"No, I don't mean that." She said, looking around. "What happens to the bodies?"

"Usually we bury them." He stated, again confused by what she was asking. "Sometimes if there's a plague or something they have to be burned but..."

"For the love of G...sorry Reverend." She said, stopping herself before she blasphemed in front of him and trying to keep her patience. "What I mean is, what happens to the bodies before they're buried? Where do they go? Where are they kept?"

"Well, that depends." Swanson said, thinking about it. "In smaller places, normally they're stored in the church or the undertakers until they're buried. In bigger cities, they have morgues."

"Morgues?" She asked.

"It's a place where they store bodies until the family can collect them." Swanson explained. "Bigger places, sometimes it takes a while for families to find out their loved ones have departed. Sometimes the law has to investigate if their death was connected to a crime..."

His words tailed off and his eyes opened wide.

"You're not thinking...?"

"Hosea and Lenny were family." She stated flatly. "I am damned if they're gonna be buried in some unmarked grave or burned."

"Sadie, they're in the city morgue!" Swanson reminded her. "They have to be looking for..."

"They're looking for members of the Van Der Linde Gang. Ain't none of them seen us yet." She replied, looking around. She saw Tilly and Mary-Beth talking. "Mary-Beth, Tilly, get that wagon ready! We've got some work!"

"What?" Mary-Beth asked. "What kind of work?"

"We're bringin' Hosea and Lenny home." She told them. "Get that wagon and follow me. You too Swanson."

"SWANSON?" All three of them yelled. Sadie just nodded as she headed for her horse.

"I'll explain on the way." She told them.

Saint Denis definitely bore the scars of recent times. Between the hit on Bronte's mansion and the bank robbery, the streets were unusually quiet as people were now reluctant to go outside if they didn't have to. Repairs were being done on the damage caused by the shoot-out, and the police were making their presence felt. There were now wanted posters up everywhere, bearing the faces of the members of the gang. Sadie pulled her small party to a stop and hopped off her horse, going to the newspaper vendor, taking a copy of the latest edition.

"Shit." She grumbled, seeing the headline. The others were gathering around to see what she was looking at.

"Antenor sinks in storm?" Mary-Beth said, going as white as a sheet. "Wasn't that...?"

"That were the ship Dutch escaped on." Sadie confirmed.

"Do you suppose they survived?" Tilly asked.

"I don't know...someone did obviously." Sadie told her. "It says a life-boat was picked up by another ship..."

"Was it them?" Mary-Beth chipped in.

"Damn it all, I don't know!" Sadie snapped. "Look, if any of them got out, we'll know soon enough. The law would have made sure everyone heard about it now if they picked them up, and if they got back they'll find their way to us eventually."

"Sadie, maybe we should..."

"No, we need to do this now, before they, you know." She answered, flipping through the papers. "Here, that's what we're lookin' for."

"The obituaries?" Swanson asked her. Sadie just looked through the announcements.

"Alright, Mary-Beth, you are Mrs Anderson, and Tilly, you're Mrs Edwards." She told them. "You said it yourself Swanson, people go to the morgue to collect their loved ones. What's more natural than a preacher and a couple of grieving widows?"

"Clever." Mary-Beth said with a smirk.

"Alright, now we just need to find the morgue." Sadie replied. "Swanson, maybe you should ask directions. The law's a little jumpy right now, so a preacher with a friendly face might cause less of a ruckus."

After getting directions to the morgue, Sadie and the others made their way there. Sadie made a quick circle of the block to try and find the best path to approach from. After they found a safe spot to leave the wagon behind the morgue, they headed towards the front door. Sadie looked to the other three.

"Alright, you clear what you're doin'?" She asked.

"We go in and ask after our dearly departed husbands." Mary-Beth responded, pulling a rather impressive facial expression of grief. She and Tilly were used to being part of con jobs. Sadie looked to Swanson.

"Right, you go in, ask for their husbands, then when the guy takes you to get them, I'll head around the back. One of you unlock the back door, that's when I'll come in." Sadie said, moving to the side of the door. "Alright, remember; make sure I can hear you."

As Swanson, Tilly and Mary-Beth headed inside, Sadie pulled out her revolver, checking it before putting it away. She couldn't say she knew whether or not anyone had ever robbed a morgue before. She'd heard of grave-robbing, but normally that was people digging up graves to loot the valuables buried with the bodies. She was pretty sure at least that not many people robbed graves for the actual bodies.

"How can I help you Reverend?" The desk assistant asked as Sadie listened in intently.

"Yes, I'm sorry to disturb you. I have a couple of my flock here to collect their dear, departed husbands, so that I may shepherd them into the Gates of Heaven."

Sadie had to try not to snigger. Pearson was really putting his all into this performance.

"Names please?" He asked.

"Rita Anderson." Mary-Beth introduced herself.

"Violet Smith." Tilly said, pulling in towards Mary-Beth as they held each other for support. The man behind the counter leaned in closer.

"I'm very sorry for your loss." He told them. "Let me just check my records."

"Records?" Sadie asked herself. "How many people die in once city?"

"I'm sorry; we're having a storage issue, what with all the...ugliness...recently." He said apologetically as he checked his books. Outside, Sadie rolled her eyes. She should have thought of that. It wasn't like Dutch and the others had been particularly quiet as of late. "Alright, just this way."

Sadie headed around the building quickly, knowing she might not have long. She got to the back door and waited for any sounds of the others. It was a little while before she heard them. She heard the lock trigger, at which she pulled up her bandana and burst in the door.

"Alright, reach for the ceiling; no one needs to get hurt here!" Sadie yelled as she waved her Revolver around, looking around to figure out where everyone was in the room. The counter assistant and one other man were there.

"What the...who are you?" One of them asked as Sadie ushered them both to once corner. Mary-Beth and Tilly both pulled out revolvers too. "What the hell is this?"

"Hosea Matthews and Lenny Summers, where are they?" She demanded.

"You're Van Der Linde's man?" He asked.

"I guess you must be the brains of the outfit. Sure, we'll go with that!" Sadie said sarcastically. "Where are they?"

"Do you have any idea how many people have been brought in here in the last week?" The other asked her.

"Go get the book!" Sadie said to Swanson, gesturing to the front. "You have a look; see if you can find them."

As the other women started searching the rest of the morgue, Sadie kept her gun trained on the two men.

"We're unarmed..."

"Well, excuse me if I'm just taking precautions." Sadie interrupted him.

"Look, your friends were criminals. Other people, GOOD people have been killed." One of them said.

"Not real smart thing to say to someone pointin' a gun at you." Sadie warned him, feeling her rage rising.

"All I'm saying is...they might not even be here." He told her. "We're running out of room as it is..."

"Well, you better hope they're still here." Sadie told him. "Let's just say...you're in the right place if they ain't."

"I've got the record." Swanson said as he put the book down. "They're here!"

"Then go help the others find them!" Sadie told him. She looked to the two men. "You two got lucky."

"We've got them!" Mary-Beth called out. Sadie just gestured into the other storage room.

"Well, are you waitin' for a written invitation?" She asked.

"What?" He asked.

"Take them out to the wagon!" Sadie instructed them. The two men reluctantly complied. Sadie kept just inside the door, trying to stay out of sight of the street while still keeping her gun trained on them. She wanted to ensure this looked as normal as possible. If anyone was watching, it just looked like the morgue turning over a couple of bodies to a preacher and a couple of grieving relatives.

Once they had finished loading both bodies into the back of the wagon, wrapped in heavy blankets, they both came inside.

"Alright, you've got what you wanted." The man told her. "Please, just leave."

"Now, you know we can't do that." Sadie told them. "At least, we need to make sure you don't just run out and holler for the law."

"Just take your friends and go." The man repeated with desperation in his voice. Sadie held up a hand.

"Don't worry, I ain't gonna kill you!" She assured them. "Not if I don't have to. Tie 'em up."

"I'm sorry?" Tilly asked.

"Tie 'em up." Sadie repeated.

"Tie them up with what?" Mary-Beth asked. That was when Sadie noticed a problem with her plan.

"None of you have rope?" She asked. They all shook their heads. "God Damn it! Sorry Reverend."

"No offence taken." He responded. Sadie looked around, trying to think of what to do. That was when she saw one of the storage units. She gestured to it.

"In there." She told them.

"You're not serious." One of them asked. Sadie just levelled her revolver at him.

"One way or another, you're goin' in there." She replied. "Just decide if you wanna walk back out again at some point."

The two men looked to each other, before heading inside.

"Keys!" Sadie said, at which one of them threw her the keys. She closed over the door, locking them inside, before putting the keys on the table.

"Alright, let's get out of here before anyone else shows up." She instructed them, heading out the back with them, pulling off her bandana. They all got onto the wagon, Swanson taking up the reins and gently whipping the horses to slowly pull them out. She was sure someone would find out about the robbery eventually, but by then, they would be long gone.

A little while later, they pulled off the track in Bluewater Marsh to bury their friends. It wasn't as though this was something new to them; in fact it was becoming all too regular an occurance as of late to be burying friends.

"And so we commend them to the ground, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Swanson concluded as they placed the bodies in the shallow graves they had dug. Sadie had unwrapped them enough to allow their faces to be seen. She knelt down between the graves, pulling out Lenny's pocket watch. She opened it, looking once more to the inscription that Arthur had commissioned for it.

"Any time you look at this watch, think of the future. I know that's what I do when I look at you, son." Sadie read the inscription aloud. She closed over the watch and reached inside the blankets, stuffing it inside Lenny's pocket. "I kept is safe for you, just like you asked."

She closed over the blanket, before looking to Hosea. She ran a hand tenderly across his cheek, a tear beginning to run down her face.

"You trusted me with the most precious thing in the world to you." She sniffed. "I'll try to make you proud."

She closed over the blanket, at which they got shovels and started to fill in the graves. Milton had taken their friends from them, but this was one dignity he would not deny them.

It was close to dark by the time they got back to the camp. Strauss ran up to them in a panic.

"Where have you been?" He rushed out.

"We were gettin' Hosea and Lenny." Sadie reminded him.

"You were nearly out there after dark!" He shrieked. Sadie just rolled her eyes.

"I swear to God, Strauss, you're just a bag of nerves!" She told him.

"Well, you would be too if you had the day I had. I went to see one of my debtors and he was..."

"Let me guess, he weren't too receptive?" She asked. "No wonder, you seen a mirror lately? You couldn't scare Jack!"

"Yes, well...that's as may be, but at least I'm trying to get us some money!" He said bad-temperedly.

"Strauss, we'll get money." She assured him. "In the meantime, you just sit there and try not to jump out of your skin."

"Well, if I were you I wouldn't be quite so flippant." He told her. She just looked to him curiously.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked him. He pulled out a newspaper, handing it to her.

"I picked this up." He told her. She just looked to the newspaper, her eyes growing wide.

"You're...you're...you're shittin' me!" She said. He stood, staring at her with his arms folded. Sadie did something that made everyone in camp stare at her. She suddenly burst out laughing!

"Mrs Adler, what are you...?" Pearson asked, before she handed him the newspaper. Before long, he was laughing too. They handed it around the camp, each of them in turn reading it before bursting out laughing.

Back in the present, Sadie pulled out a newspaper clipping.

"There hadn't been a whole lot to laugh about, but I'll tell you, right at that moment, it felt damn good." She told Levin, sliding the clipping to him. He looked to it curiously.

"Kid Van Der Linde?" He asked curiously. It came with a sketch of a person with a Stetson and a bandana over the face. He looked to Sadie curiously.

"Try lookin' a bit closer." She told him. He inspected the drawing more closely. There wasn't any detail, the person was wearing a mask, but then he noticed a very distinct scar above the brow. He looked to Sadie, who just smiled and nodded.

"YOU?" He asked.

"People back then weren't too quick to think a lady could be an outlaw." She told him. "They didn't have much to go on, so they started askin' around, heard stories about a new member of the gang. No one knew who I was, so they started fillin' in the blanks themselves."

"Kid Van Der Linde...bastard son of Dutch Van Der Linde...Heir Apparent to the Van Der Linde Gang?" He asked, reading the article. She just chuckled.

"No matter how many times I read that article it always makes me laugh." She told him. "They were convinced I were a young man because of my voice, people started tellin' tales and...well...you know how that goes bein' a writer and all don't you?"

"Mrs Adler, I deal in facts..."

"Oh, really?" She asked him. "Should we talk again about that biography about Boy Calloway?"

He suddenly fell silent. She just shook her head and turned her attention back to her meal.

"I've got no doubt Dutch might have had a few kids along the way, but...well, let's just say it was one of the few instances people doubting what a woman can do worked in my favour." She continued. "The Van Der Linde name gave me credibility, and if people were willing to believe that bullshit, I were happy to let 'em."

"I don't believe this...you were Kid Van Der Linde?" He asked. "No wonder Kid Van Der Linde just disappeared without a trace."

"Well, eventually 'he' did." She said, making air-quotes with her fingers. "But believe you me; we weren't done in Lakay yet."

"Yes, it took several months for the others to get back." He recalled.

"Yeah, but that weren't the only thing we needed to worry about." Sadie responded, gesturing for another drink. "Let's just say, we were about to find out we weren't the only ones that lived out in the swamp."


	25. Squatting On The Wrong Land

The next few days became blurred into one another as Sadie got to work. The gang was down, that much was obvious to anyone with eyes. They were squatting in a shit-hole in the swamp so run down even the previous owners had apparently just walked off without even the effort to burn it to the ground, presuming they could thanks to the damp in the wood. They had been running low on supplies, they had only the money in the tithing box and they were now down to a crew that lacked a lot of the strongest guns in the gang. Of course, even back on the ranch Sadie had if anything taken a challenge as an opportunity to shove doubt and sneers in the faces of people who said she couldn't do it.

Charles was incredibly busy. Being the best hunter, tracker and scout, they could only risk him sparingly on jobs. Sadie had made the very tough choice early on that since no one else really had the instincts necessary to hunt somewhere as dangerous as the swamps, where a wrong step was just an invitation to get dragged down by unsteady banks, alligators or fall victim to poisonous snakes, that he really needed to be the one to handle bringing in fresh game. He also needed to start looking out for somewhere they could run to next in the unlikely event anyone thought to look in the swamps too closely for them. It was a little unsettling the first time she watched him ride out, knowing it would be several days before he returned, but there was a part that also found it quite liberating.

The issue of leadership fell to her mercifully largely by default. It wasn't just the fact that the newspapers had declared her, or more accurately her media-given alter-ego "Kid Van Der Linde" had designated her as the heir apparent to replace Dutch as leader of the gang or the fact that no one else really wanted to contest the appointment, but the fact that she was the one that had broken through the licking-wounds stage first and actually started assigning things for people to do.

There were, of course, things that needed to be done differently. The care of the gang at the camp fell largely to Pearson, Ms Grimshaw and Swanson, who had made a startling turn-around. Sadie did still find him wandering off a few times or hiding himself away in his corner of the camp, whenever he felt the fevers that came from not taking his morphine and his drink anymore got the better of him, but he was showing a strength that she wasn't sure even he realised he had, always managing to mop up the sweats, straighten out his clothes, and getting back to the spiritual and medical needs of the camp.

He and Pearson had to deal with the chuck wagon. Since they'd rarely left the camp before, it was pretty simple for them to just ride into Saint Denis, Van Horn or Annesburg to buy supplies, and while they were always careful to mix it up so no one noticed the same faces buying large amounts of food, alcohol, tobacco and medicines, it wasn't as though anyone was looking for them.

Ms Grimshaw was charged as usual with keeping discipline in the camp, ensuring that it was as much as possible kept running smoothly.

Sadie dealt with everything else. They needed to get back to work, both to get those that remained moving and motivated again and to bring in money. They could no longer rely on the simple smash and grab tactics of some of the members of the gang, not with only Sadie and, when she was sober enough to be relied on, Karen to act as enforcers but they had some of the smartest and wiliest sneak-thieves, hustlers and con-artists in the country working for them. With the right planning, it was amazing how many homesteads, stores and stage-coaches could be targeted and robbed very successfully with only a small number of weapons. People were also rather strangely rather reluctant to fight back when they realised most of their attackers were women, a fact that suited Sadie down to the ground. Before long, "Kid Van Der Linde" was on the headlines on a daily basis and racking up a massive bounty and reputation with inventive, sneaky and sometimes extremely brazen raids that left law enforcement completely baffled and flat-footed.

She rode back into Lakay with Abigail, Mary-Beth and Tilly, finding Charles sitting, working on skinning some boar. She came up to him, pulling down her bandana and hugging him tightly.

"Ain't you a sight for sore eyes?" She declared. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Waipiti." He said with a little smile. "I've started talking to the chief, Rains Fall quite a lot.

"Waipiti? Yeah, I remember those fellers, nice folks. They used to pass through the ranch once in a while." Sadie recalled, thinking about it. "I see you ain't come back empty-handed."

"Pearson's still cooking right?" Charles chuckled as he finished pulling away the last of the skin and wrapped up the meat, ready to hand to Pearson.

"Charles, you seen that son of mine?" Abigail asked. Charles understood the necessity for Abigail to leave him in the camp. With so few of them left, everyone needed to put their shoulder to the wheel so to speak, and as reluctant as she'd been to even let Jack out of her sight now, the simple fact was she needed to. Unless he was part of the job, Sadie had found a lot of people were more than willing to stop for a lost child wandering in the road crying out for his mommy, but she did, at Abigail's request try to keep those jobs to a minimum.

"He's playing just over..." He said, pointing to where he had last seen him. He suddenly snapped to his feet as he realised Jack was gone.

"Pearson!" Sadie called out. "Is young Jack with you?"

"I haven't seen him in a while Mrs Adler." He replied. "Not since I told him we didn't have any candy left."

"Ms Grimshaw?" She asked. Ms Grimshaw looked worried as well, but just shrugged in response. She could feel the panic starting to rise and turned to Abigail instinctively. "Abigail..."

"Oh my God, what happened to him?" Abigail started to shriek. "Where is my son Sadie?"

"Try to stay calm, he know not to go near the water." Sadie said as reassuringly as she could. "I'm sure he's probably...uh...with Swanson. Mary-Beth, find the Reverend will you?"

"You were looking for me?" Swanson asked as he came out of a cabin. "I've been tending to Karen..."

"Shit!" Sadie called out, before turning to Abigail. "We're goin' out lookin', don't you worry about that!"

"I can't lose..."

"You won't!" Sadie yelled, sounding a lot more confident than she actually was. There were a lot of dangers in the swamp for adults, never mind a young boy. She and Charles headed out on foot, wanting to spare the horses and reasoning he couldn't have gotten too far from the camp. He was still far too small to ride a horse without someone else to lift him onto it and ride with him.

"Jack!" Sadie called out.

"Jack, where are you?" Charles added as they started to sweep out from the camp. They couldn't begin to imagine all sorts of horrid things that could have happened to the boy out here. He'd been told many times not to leave the camp, but there was only so long any boy would listen to the grown-ups before the explorer in his young mind would want to see more than the same buildings all day.

After wandering for a little while, Sadie heard a giggle. She breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way through some reeds and found him kneeling down, picking some flowers. She did see a snake he was blissfully unaware of slithering a little too close for comfort, and so she quickly flicked it far into the undergrowth with her boot.

"Charles, I've found him! Jack, what the hell are you doin' out here?" Sadie asked. "Your mom's goin' out of her mind!"

"I came out here for mom." Jack told her. "I saw some pretty flowers and thought she'd like them..."

"Jack, give me those right now." Charles said, reaching his hand out for the flowers. He took them from the young boy. "Promise me you'll wash your hands before you eat."

"But I always do..."

"PROMISE ME!" Charles barked. Sadie just glared at him as Jack stared at him with glistening eyes.

"You don't need to frighten the boy Charles!" She stated.

"I'm sorry I yelled Jack." Charles said, kneeling down next to him, before holding up some pink flowers. "These flowers may look pretty, but what you've picked is Oleander. It's a very dangerous plant. It's poisonous."

"It is?" He asked. "But they're so pretty..."

"Yeah, that's how things go sometimes." Charles said to him with a smile. "Sometimes things that are pretty can also be deadly. You've been around the camp long enough to know that right?"

"Let's get back before Abigail murders the others for lettin' him wander off." Sadie said as they started to make their way back. "So, what did you do out here? Other than pick flowers I mean."

"I met a friend." Jack told them.

"A friend?" Sadie asked. "Out here?"

"Yeah, there's a funny man swingin' from a tree over there." He said, pointing out. "He don't talk, but he just swings there all day."

"Sadie, what are you doing?" Charles asked as she looked to him.

"Jack, why don't you tell us where your friend is?" She asked him.

"Sadie, we've got the boy..."

"And with the exception of Lagras, this is the first person we've heard about out here." She reminded him. "I say we find out who this feller is."

They made their way through the swamp, following Jack as he led them back to his new friend. They were a little amazed he had managed to come so far without falling foul of the many dangers out here, but they made a wordless pact not to tell Abigail. She would worry enough as it was.

They broke through to a clearing, finding a kind of 'road' and that was when Jack pointed him out.

"There he is!" Jack said, pointing up. Both Sadie and Charles looked horrified by what they saw. Sadie could feel her even her stomach turning.

"Don't look!" She told Jack, turning him away. There was indeed a man 'swinging' from a tree. Swinging by his neck! He was strung up on the tree about twelve feet above the ground! There was no sign of anything for him to climb on which meant he probably didn't get up there by himself. "Charles, get that poor bastard down will you?"

Charles took careful aim, shooting the rope holding the man up. The body dropped to the ground with a loud thud a little way off. Sadie put a hand around Jack.

"Keep your eyes closed, but stay close OK?" She asked him as they approached. She and Charles approached the body, getting a closer look. It was clear from the moment they saw him that the hanging hadn't been what killed him...at least they sincerely hoped he was dead before then. As Charles searched him, they could see multiple injuries, deliberate injuries designed to cause agony rather than kill. His skin tone indicated he'd lost a lot of blood before he was brought here, and that he had been dead some time. The smell was awful.

"Did you find anything that says who this feller is?" She asked. Charles handed her a piece of paper.

"Not much, just keeps mentioning something about the 'Night Folk'." Charles told her.

"Night Folk?" She asked. The name kept cropping up, but for the most part they thought it was just one of many myths and stories about the swamps, people's way of explaining all the unwary travellers that disappeared. "You don't think...?"

"I'll tell you one thing, no animal caused these injuries." Charles stated. "And I have never seen an animal hang a man up..."

His head snapped up as he heard something. He pulled out his sawn-off and started to look around. Sadie had no idea what he'd heard, but she pulled out her revolver, trusting Charles' instincts.

"What is it?" She asked. Just then, she heard an animalistic shriek.

"SADIE!" Charles roared as he shoved her aside, firing his sawn-off. She looked up from the ground, seeing a man being blown almost in half from the point-blank shot from Charles' weapon.

She saw someone else coming out of the undergrowth and took aim. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen. They were men, but they were dishevelled, barely-clothed and covered in mud. It made them hard to see and difficult to determine they were even human. The one coming for Charles' back was holding a huge blade, something that looked decidedly home-made, and as long as a man's arm, covered in rust, mud and gore. She pumped a couple of rounds into the man's chest in quick succession, taking him down before snapping to her feet.

More of them came, and an arrow sailed dangerously close to them. Charles fired the second round of his sawn-off, but was forced to turn it around, using it to cosh the others, being left with no time to reload before they were on top of them. Sadie ushered Jack between them, taking down as many as she could before her gun too was empty. As one came straight for her, she pulled out her knife, ramming it straight into his stomach and pulling it up hard, splitting him open. Charles was kneeling over another, bringing his sawn-off down again and again, caving his skull in. Sadie quickly scanned the horizon.

"I think that were the last of 'em." She assured him.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say those were the Night Folk." Charles said breathlessly. "They sure don't go down easy."

"Charles, see to that poor bastard would you?" Sadie asked, gesturing to the body as she reloaded her revolver. "I'll keep an eye out to make sure they ain't comin' back."

"What do you want me to do with him?" He asked. It was a good point; it wasn't like they had the means to bury him right now. Sadie hated the thought of leaving him just lying out for the local scavengers, but looking at the corpse, she doubted there was really much more indignity that could be visited on him. She just nodded.

"Jack, stay close." She warned him as they went.

When they got back to the camp, Abigail ran up to Jack, swallowing him in a huge hug, relieved to see him back. The others though, noticed the state that Sadie and Charles were in. They were both covered in mud and blood.

"What the hell happened out there?" Ms Grimshaw asked. "Was it the Pinkertons?"

"No..."

"The O'Driscolls?" Pearson asked.

"No, we got us a whole new problem." Sadie told them. "We're pretty sure we just ran into the Night Folk."

"The Night Folk?" Mary-Beth asked sceptically. "Aren't they made-up like Swanson's ghost?"

"I saw something!" Swanson protested.

"Well, they were very real, and VERY unhappy to see us!" Charles told them, handing her the letter. "We found this on some poor bastard they...they...I don't even know how I'd describe what they did to him."

"So, now instead of just Pinkertons, O'Driscolls, police, Marshalls and Bounty Hunters, we now have a tribe of cannibals after us?" Abigail asked.

"It looks that way." Charles responded. "I swear, I've seen scalping and I've seen a lot of other sick things but that was one of the damndest things I've ever seen."

"So, what do they want with us?" Tilly asked. "We never did anything to them!"

"I don't think that's really much of a problem for them." Charles commented as Sadie started to look around at the camp. It was only then that she started to re-assess some of the things they'd seen when they came in, particularly the stakes at the entrance. The ones with human skulls mounted on the top. Just then, things started to click.

"Aw, shit!" She muttered. Everyone just stared at her.

"What?" Pearson asked. "What is it?" Sadie just pointed to the skulls mounted on stakes. Everyone else started to look around, seeing the strange symbols carved into trees and buildings and animal carcasses and other macabre decorations. They all started to have the same thought.

"Shit, no wonder no one comes out here." She declared. "We just came in and squatted on their old home!"

"But...it doesn't look like anyone's lived here in years." Mary-Beth protested.

"I don't think they look much like the kind of folks that live anywhere really." Charles responded. "This is bad, this is REALLY bad! Clearly they either camp up somewhere nearby or they used to live here before they became...well...that."

"You mean to tell us we're sitting right in the middle of their home?" Abigail shrieked. "Well, that's just great Sadie, that is just..."

"Abigail, we're doin' the best we can!" She cut her off. She put a hand on her shoulder. "We're gonna get through this. I promise, I'll figure somethin' out."

"Alright, so what do you want us to do?" Pearson asked her. Sadie stood for a moment, trying hard to think.

"Alright, we need to figure out where we stand." She told them. "Ms Grimshaw, gather up all the weapons...and I do mean ALL the weapons. I wanna know every hammer, every knife, every bullet that we have! Mary-Beth, you help her. Charles, Tilly, you keep watch. Pearson, Swanson, you're with me. I want to know every inch of this place, every way they could come at us, every escape route and every window and piece of cover we can use. We just killed a few of these bastards and I really doubt that were all of them!"

As they all split off to prepare, Sadie could only wonder how long it would be before they saw more of the Night Folk. She doubted it would be long before they found their friends and figured out it was the new squatters who'd done it. If they came though, she was determined to be ready for them. If the Night Folk wanted them, they would have to fight for them with every last breath!


	26. The Night Folk Come

The entire camp worked furiously to increase the defensive capabilities of the camp in Lakay. They already knew that they had enemies out looking for them, between the Pinkertons, Cornwall, The O'Driscolls, the Law, Bounty Hunters, but most of them didn't know where they were and were either too scared or too disinterested in the swamps to go in to look for them there. Now though, they knew they had a new threat, one that had no such reservations about the swamps.

The Night Folk, a common tale on the lips of travellers through the area, a kind of bogeyman that was whispered about around campfires. Stories told of a people who had lived out in the swamps, isolated from civilisation so long that they eventually left all semblance of it behind. Stories told of creatures that used to be human that lived to attack the unwary and the unfortunate travelling through the swamps after dark. Stories of bodies turning up, horrifically mutilated, some of them partially eaten, were common. Little was known about the Night Folk for a fact, but now that Sadie had seen them with her own eyes, she was prepared to determine that they were real enough to treat as a threat.

They were now posting two on guard duty at night. Making sure there was someone able to fire off a couple of shots to wake everyone else if they came. They would move on, if it wasn't for the real question of where exactly to move on to. Charles had suggested Waipiti, but it was a long way to travel with their numbers so depleted. For the time being at least, they needed to hunker down here.

Pearson came into one of the cabins, finding Sadie sawing a hole in the floor. She looked down at her handiwork as he looked to her curiously.

"What do you think?" She asked him.

"I think it's a hole in the floor." He said with a shrug. Sadie just looked to him, before pointing northward.

"The main cabin's up there, directly opposite the gate." She pointed out. "Behind it, we got the river, on either side, swamps that are pretty slow goin' on foot. That means whoever comes in is goin' to be drawn naturally to that cabin, the one we're all stayin' in."

She then gestured to the floor.

"I figure if someone comes at us, they're goin' for that cabin, someone can slip out the back, come around the bank unseen, up through this hole here and…" She kicked open the door, showing Pearson the centre of the camp. "Flank 'em."

"Flank?" Pearson asked her, stroking his chin and giving her a knowing look. She just sighed. "Since when did you start using terms like 'flank'?"

"Bill might be a drunken idiot, but occasionally he's worth listenin' to." She responded. "I can't say I believe half the shit he says he did in the army, but he seems to know how to talk like he understands tactics at least."

"We got that inventory you asked for." He told her, showing her a list. Sadie just started reading through it. She had asked them to compile a list of everything they could use as a weapon. They had guns, but she wanted to know about everything. From the encounter they had in the swamp, it seemed these Night Folk had a taste for getting up close and nasty. The one that almost got her was carrying what could only be described as a machete, that looked to be home-made, barely more than a rusty blade tied onto a crude handle. She wanted to be ready for anything.

"Dynamite, fire-bottles, probably best to avoid them. We don't wanna blow ourselves to shit." She commented. "Pump-action shotgun, sawn-off shotgun, some revolvers, some repeaters, that's more like it. Knives, tomahawks, hammers, knives…Volcanic Pistol? What the shit is that?"

Pearson reached into his pants, pulling out a very old-fashioned looking pistol. She just looked to him in disbelief.

"Really?" She asked him. Even by 1899, the Volcanic was considered something of a novelty item or museum piece that only really appealed to collectors.

"I picked it up in my navy days." He told her. "I…haven't used it in a while, but you said you wanted to know about everything."

"I guess I did say that." She replied. "How are we for ammo?"

"The boys took a lot of it when they hit that bank." Pearson admitted, showing her the list.

"Which means most of it is at the bottom of the ocean now." She sighed, shaking her head. "We have enough for now, but we're gonna have to get more and soon."

"We've got money, I can put it on the list next time we go for supplies." Pearson told her. She just nodded.

"Looks like we're gonna have to make do with some of your 'economy' stews for a while." She responded.

"We could bolster the supplies from the local wildlife." He told her. "I saw this gator recently, huge thing it was! Must have been thirty foot easy!"

"A thirty-foot gator?" She asked in a scoffing tone.

"I swear to God! Albino it was, absolutely beautiful…if it wasn't so terrifying…"

"Pearson, I appreciate the help, but you are so full of shit sometimes." She stated, handing him back the list. "You really think people wouldn't notice a thirty-foot albino gator? How about we concentrate on the monsters we KNOW exist right now OK?"

She headed out into the yard, checking out the preparations the others were making. She knew that their position wasn't ideal. The Night Folk seemed to use the undergrowth, the trees to conceal their movements, and their habit of being covered in the mud from the swamp made them difficult to see at a distance. They needed to cut down any advantage they had, and the best idea she could think of right now was to restrict their likely paths into the camp.

The river acted as a natural barrier to the rear, and the swamp on either side of the camp was so damp that stepping on it was a good way to lose a boot. It was easy to sink as far as knee deep in the mud, meaning that coming from either side was going to be difficult and slow going. There was one side-road, which she had them block off with a hastily-constructed 'fence' made from whatever spare wood they could find, sharpened into stakes to discourage anyone getting too close.

The main 'gate' they narrowed in a similar fashion. They needed it to be wide enough for them to get a wagon in and out, but at the same time restrict how many people could come in at a time. There was now only one way in and out, only one direction they needed to concentrate on while on watch. Ms Grimshaw had it covered at the moment with her shotgun, but at night, she wanted at least two on duty, one to start the shooting, one to make sure everyone woke up and grabbed their weapons as quickly as possible. Charles was just finishing tightening the lashes on the fencing, wiping off his brow.

"That's good work there." She complimented him.

"I was going to say the same thing to you." Charles told her. "This place is looking great."

"Yeah, there's a difference between looks and reality." She responded. Charles put his arm around her.

"Hey, you've been great. We'd never have got this far without you." He reminded her.

"Yeah, a swamp full of cannibals…I did a great job there." She grumbled.

"It's better than at the end of a noose or on Sisika." Charles reminded her. Sisika was a State Penitentiary on an island off the coast of Saint Denis. It had a reputation as one of the toughest prisons in the country. Virtually inescapable, if people even got out of the prison, they were still a long way from the mainland, much too far to swim. Prisoners there worked on chain gangs in various capacities. Sadie had only even heard of it recently, having read in the paper that John had been sent there after his arrest during the bank job. It was a mixed blessing, he'd done more than enough to earn him a meeting with a hangman across a significant part of the country in his life-time, but for now at least it seemed he was alive. It was a relief to Abigail to hear he was alive, but it wasn't as though they were in any position to do anything about getting him free any time soon. "One day we'll get to leave here."

"Yeah, but first, we have to survive here." She replied. "Karen, Tilly, you're on watch tonight! Pearson, make sure everyone's fed! Everyone else remember, keep your weapons close and keep 'em loaded. We don't want them bastards to catch us with our britches down."

That night was not a restful night for Sadie. Not least because everyone was bunking down in the one cabin, meaning right now she had Pearson's feet uncomfortably close to her face, but she just couldn't bring herself to settle down. She'd come a long way since the Belle. She'd got a kick out of the whole 'Kid Van Der Linde' thing, but she was starting now more and more to wonder if it was for the best people were looking to her for leadership. Dutch, people would complain about his mistakes at times, but for the most part he seemed to make it all look so easy. Most of the time, it was debatable whether or not the circumstances that forced them to move on were his fault. Sometimes things just happened, but now more than ever, Sadie was starting to see how connected everything was. It was like whenever she made a decision about one thing, another problem came up. Pulling a job to get money attracted more attention and made it harder to get supplies. Getting supplies drained much-needed cash. If they wanted to buy ammo, that was less money for food. If they bought more food, they needed to get more money. Leaving the Lakay would expose them to the O'Driscolls and the Pinkertons, staying meant restricting how easy it was to get what they needed…it was never-ending.

She finally gave up on sleep and got up, picking up her repeater and heading out the front. She found Tilly sitting on the steps, her head drifting up and down as she looked to be close to drifting off. Sadie sat down next to her.

"Hey, you alright?" Sadie asked.

"I guess." Tilly said wearily, yawning a little.

"Would you like some coffee or some tobacco?" She asked.

"Coffee." She replied. "I have no idea how you guys chew that stuff."

Sadie went to the percolator, lighting a flame under it to start the coffee, preparing it and waiting for it to heat.

"Sadie?" Tilly asked. "Those Night Folk…were they really as bad as you say?"

"We didn't exactly have time for a conversation." She told her. "The only thing I noticed were the machete one of 'em tried to bury in my face."

"Jesus, what makes people like that?" Tilly asked. "I know…I know we can't exactly say we're innocent or nothin' but…Jesus, most of the time we're just lookin' for money or food to eat. What the hell are they lookin' for?"

"I'm not sure they're lookin' for anything." Sadie answered honestly. "I just reckon some folk are just bad for the sake of it."

Sadie started to look around.

"Tilly, where the hell is Karen?" She asked. Tilly's mouth hung open.

"Uh…well…I…"

"Never mind, I think I know." She muttered, patting her on the shoulder. "Coffee should be ready soon."

Sadie headed towards the side-cabin, stopping as she got to the deck, finding an empty whiskey bottle. She picked it up and looked inside, but finding that Karen wasn't there, she headed around the back. When she got there, she found Karen with her repeater resting against the wall, another bottle in her hand. Sadie threw the bottle at her, narrowly missing Karen's head to get her attention.

"What the hell?"

"God DAMN it Karen!" Sadie yelled at her. "Are you seriously shittin' me right now?"

"What?" She asked.

"You're meant to be on guardin' the camp!" Sadie snapped at her.

"Ain't Tilly doin' that?" She slurred, taking another drink.

"I asked BOTH of you to do it!" Sadie snapped at her. "Damn it Karen, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you think this is some kind of game? Do you not get that there are folks out there that want us dead?"

"What makes you think that would be such a bad thing?" Karen asked her. Sadie came up to her, snatching the bottle away from her.

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sadie asked her.

"Davie, Mac, Jenny, Kieran, Lenny, Hosea…" She listed off, before wiping her nose with her wrist. "Sean. Every day we're goin' on things just seem to get worse and worse. What's so great about all this? Wonderin' if this is the day it's gonna be our turn?"

Sadie took a deep breath. She knew about Karen's Melancholia. She didn't claim to fully understand what it was or be an expert on how it affected her, but she did know that it meant Karen was prone to some very severe shifts in her mood. Unfortunately, with a lot of recent events it was very difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was difficult to try and claim better times were coming when they were literally fortifying the worst shit-hole in the country for an imminent attack by people that as far as they knew wanted them dead for no other reason than the enjoyment of killing them.

"Karen, I know things are bad, but we have to do our part." Sadie told her.

"Why?" Karen asked her. "Don't you ever think maybe…maybe it would be better if this were all just…over?"

"I wish I had answers for you Karen, really I did, but this ain't about just you!" Sadie snapped at her. "I can't speak for you, but there are people in this camp that don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!"

"And just what do you have goin' on that's so great?" Karen asked drunkenly as she got up. "Your husband's dead, your home's a pile of ash…"

"Karen, shut up!" Sadie warned her.

"Last I checked it weren't like a whole lot of people were rushin' to help out." Karen told her. "When we got you out of the mountains, how many people came lookin' for you? How many people were askin' what happened to you? Oh, that's right, no one!"

"This is my life now!" Sadie roared. "This! Those people in there! The O'Driscolls…"

"Oh, yeah, that's right, the O'Driscolls, your reason for goin' on." Karen slurred.

"Yeah, well…it works for me!" Sadie told her. "Makin' things right, makin' 'em square, that's what keeps me goin'."

"Yeah, well what about me?" Karen asked. "The man that shot Sean, Micah killed him right after! The Grays? Arthur and the others shot them up that day! The Briathwaites? They're gone too!"

"I don't…"

"Who the hell do I go after Sadie?" She yelled. "If that's what life is, if that's what keeps us goin'…who the hell do I wake up hatin' to get me through the day? They're all DEAD!"

Karen got right in her face, her bloodshot eyes glaring right into Sadie's.

"That fat feller you keep goin' on about? That one that gutted your husband like a prize hog? Say you do find him. Say you do get him? What then?" Karen asked her. Sadie just stood, trying to think of something to say. Her mouth was moving, but nothing of any consequence was coming out. Just then, a shot rang out, quickly followed by another.

"Shit!" Sadie yelled as she snatched her repeater. Karen got hers as well as they both came around to where they saw Tilly firing into the gloom. They could hear what sounded like animal calls, but breaking through the trees, it was humans. The Night Folk had come, a lot earlier than they had expected.

"Get out of here you sons of bitches!" Sadie roared, scoring a hit straight through the neck of one as he headed for Tilly. By now the rest of the camp was out in the yard, lending their support.

"Holy mother…these things are…" Swanson said as he held his revolver reluctantly, like he was trying to decide if he should shoot. It was only when he saw one almost on top of him that he fired off several rounds in a blind panic.

"These things are from Hell, Reverend!" Charles stated as he fired off his sawn-off, obliterating the skull of one of them. "Send 'em straight back there!"

"Oh no you don't!" Sadie yelled as she saw one of them tackle Pearson, taking him to the ground. She picked up an axe, swinging it straight into its back. As it rolled off him, she brought the axe down again and again, hacking into it.

"Ms Grimshaw!" Mary-Beth called out as an arrow hit her in the leg, causing it to buckle under her. Another hit Swanson as he struggled to reload his revolver. "Reverend Swanson!"

"The one with the bow!" Sadie yelled.

"On it!" Karen called out, putting a good three rounds into him. The others started to run away, though the other members of the gang laid down more fire just to be sure.

"Are they alright?" Sadie asked.

"It's not pretty." Pearson told her. "But…I think they should be good."

"Look after them." Sadie instructed him, before turning and starting to run.

"Where the hell are you going?" He asked her.

"I'm gonna make sure those sons of bitches don't come back!" She called back as she ran out of the camp.

"Sadie!" He yelled after her.

"I'll go!" Charles told him. "SADIE!"

Sadie pursued the remaining Night Folk into the woods, stopping every now and then to take a shot. They had come for her, come for her family. She didn't care what circle of Hell these things crawled out of. She was going to send them all right back.

She couldn't hear the others in the camp calling out after a while. She got deeper and deeper into the swamp and the Night Folk were starting to scatter, making it harder to pick them out. She had to stop and take stock.

That was when she realised, she was now deep in the woods. She had gotten turned around. She had no idea where she had come from. Everywhere she looked, it all looked the same.

She heard something in the undergrowth, and raised her repeater to aim at it, but she couldn't see anything.

She heard a screech, like an animal call, but before she could turn to bring her weapon to bear, an attacker swung a hatchet her way. She barely managed to get out the way, but he knocked the repeater from her hands. She pulled out a revolver, firing into his back as he disappeared back into the bushes.

She felt something slice across her right leg, which collapsed under her. She was turning to aim as another came, kicking the revolver from her hand. He grabbed her, aiming a cleaver for her neck, but she got her knife out, ramming it into his side. As he fell, she drove it into his ribs, again and again until she was grabbed from behind and held fast, the knife being pulled from her hand.

"Get off me!" She screamed, before being forced to look up as another came from the bushes. This one was much larger than the others, perhaps even bigger than Bill if that was possible. He was covered in mud, scars and furs. He had shoulder-length, filthy, matted hair and a long, straggly beard and moustache that could probably be more accurately described as fur. He was holding a huge club across his shoulders.

The one holding Sadie grabbed her hair, yanking it hard and forcing her to look up to him. The hulking brute eyed her up and down with a predator gaze, his mouth forming into either a smile or a snarl, she couldn't really tell. He seized his club in both hands and swung it into the side of her head.


	27. Some Myths Are Real

Sadie slipped in and out of consciousness a couple of times, only pain letting her know that she wasn't dreaming or just asleep. In the brief moments of consciousness, her eyes only saw trees, bush, and a couple of Night Folk either side of her. She was moving, though not by choice by any measure of the imagination. Her muscles failed to respond in her brief moments of consciousness, she wasn't able to move in any appreciable way, much less try to fight back. She could feel the Night Folk's hands under her arms, hooking them and pulling at her arms while her heels felt a kind of consistent tug. She was being dragged, taken somewhere, but where she had no idea.

Her eyes were assaulted by a sudden light and her head pounded all the more as they passed by some torches. She could only make out shadows and hear more animal calls, which indicated to her that there were more of them. They must have taken her to some kind of camp. She didn't know why they'd brought her here, but remembering the man in the tree, she had a feeling that it might have been better if they had finished her off in the woods. If they brought her to their camp, they had all the time in the world to do whatever they wanted, and by the looks of things, they were extremely imaginative.

She was dumped on the ground, and Night Folk surrounded her, inspecting her thoughtfully. The big one with the club shoved his way to the front. He really did look massive from this angle. The club he'd used looked like a tree as he rested it against the side of her head, shoving it this way and that as he considered her. She tried to say something, to tell the son of a bitch to just get on with it and do whatever he was going to do, but even Sadie couldn't understand the slurred mess that came from her mouth. He gave her a twisted, crooked smile, before letting out a screeching animal call, at which Sadie was picked up again. Her hands were roughly bound behind her back, and she was dragged over to a tree, where she was unceremoniously dumped. She could see more torches, and a campfire. More and more Night Folk came out of the brush, and started to assemble.

Her head was splitting, she wouldn't have been surprised if the big bastard had split her skull, but true to form she didn't have the good sense to just die and get it over with. She could feel tingling, aching throughout her body as her muscles started to wake up. She almost wished they hadn't, as it just brought with it more pain. Her hearing and her vision were starting to come back, letting her take in more and more of her surroundings.

The Night Folk never spoke to each other, they used animal calls and bestial utterances, something she wasn't sure could even be considered a language. She did, however, hear some utterances and whimpers that sounded more human. Was it her? No, she felt movement, movement near her…there was someone else there. She shuffled around, trying to turn over, before finding a couple of men also bound. She wasn't the only prisoner. She had wondered if maybe they'd got others from the gang, she feared they'd gotten some of the others, but as got a look at the nearest one, it was a man she had never seen before.

"Oh God, Oh God, what are they doin'?" He whimpered.

"Nothin' good I imagine." Sadie grumbled, finally able to form recognisable words.

"Why are they doin' this to us?" The guy whispered, his lip quivering. Sadie couldn't tell, but looking at the dirt and filth on his clothing, together with the dried blood on his wounds, it looked like he had to have been there a day or more at least. He smelled like it too, apparently the Night Folk didn't believe in giving their victims bathroom breaks. "We…we never did nothin' to them. Didn't even know they was here!"

"Well, that makes two of us." She muttered. "Don't suppose you got a knife or somethin'?"

"They took all our weapons." He told her. "There were six of us…the things they did to the others, how could any person do anything like that?"

"They're not human!" She heard another voice screaming. "They're…they're monsters, straight from Hell! Ain't no way…"

They heard a screech and one of them ran over towards them, swinging a machete into the tree right by the man's head. He screamed in the man's face, before heading around the other side. The other man screamed as he was grabbed and dragged into the centre of the camp.

"You…You leave him alone you sons of bitches!" The other one screamed at them. They didn't take any notice however, bringing the man into the middle of the camp, where they tied him to some kind of frame they had set up. They started to go and fetch blades, beginning to look over the man, like a sculptor would stare at a piece of rock. "Oh God, Oh God!"

"Hey, we're gonna get out of this." Sadie assured him. "You said they got your weapons, where did they take them?"

"Over there somewhere." He said, jerking his head to indicate the direction. Sadie shuffled around as much as she could, trying to see where he was indicating. It was somewhere in the brush, somewhere that she couldn't quite see, but if they were still there, maybe they had a chance. "Oh my God, this weren't supposed to happen! We were just here to do a job!"

"You were here for a job?" She asked. "What kind of job?"

"We heard rumours Kid Van Der Linde were out here." He sobbed. "Most of the gang went down in the ocean. We figured if we brought in the rest, it'd be an easy bounty! We never knew that these bastards were out here!"

"Neither did I." Sadie replied, deciding it was for the best not to tell him that he was actually tied up along with the very bounty he'd come out to the swamp to collect on. They heard an ear-piercing scream. Sadie looked towards the scream, while the bounty hunter screwed his eyes shut and started to yammer incoherently, like he was trying to stop himself hearing his friend being butchered. Sadie felt ill as they carved into him. The other bounty hunter's screams were chilling, piercing right through to Sadie's very soul. It didn't matter that these men had come looking for her, to come after her and her new family, no one deserved this kind of treatment.

Sadie felt something stick into her and swore loudly as she looked back to the Bounty Hunter who was trying to stop himself watching his friend being tortured. That was when she noticed it, he was wearing spurs. They must have stuck into her while his feet were thrashing around as he tried to block out his friend's screams. She took the opportunity when his legs stopped kicking for a moment to slide the spurs off his boot, taking it into her hand. She fumbled around with it, trying to get the point into the ropes binding her hands, and started to work at her bonds.

The man's screaming stopped, and for a moment Sadie wondered, hoped, that perhaps he had slipped away. She hoped that the poor bastard had slipped into a merciful death, but she could hear his whimpering and knew he was still alive. The Night Folk had stopped though, more than that, they were stepping away from the man, and she could hear something new, they were no longer communicating in animal calls, they were muttering, but in unison, it was like a chant. They were stepping away from the shore. They were almost looking in reverence. Sadie had to move around to see what they were looking at, before she saw a ripple, a long wake in the water, one which was coming closer and closer. The Night Folk were swaying and chanting as it came closer. She finally saw something breaking through the surface. It was a pale, almost white leather.

"You have got to be…" She started to say, before slowly but surely, it started to emerge. Her mouth hung open in disbelief as she watched the largest, most monstrous alligator she had ever seen in her life started to make its way onto the bank. It seemed like there was no end to the damn thing as it crawled out of the river. The Night Folk backed off from the Bounty Hunter as it started to come closer. The large one, the one she took to be the chief, seemed to throw his hands up, gesturing wildly to the man. Were they offering him up to the alligator? "…Son of a bitch!"

The alligator slithered out of the river, making its way slowly towards the man. The Night Folk all backed off when it got close, but kept their eyes on it in a kind of admiration. The damn thing was huge, it had to be easily thirty feet, possibly more. It started to slowly approach the Bounty Hunter. A blood-curdling scream rang out as it seized him in its jaws, tearing him down off the frame with unnatural strength .

Sadie saw everyone's attention was on the creature, understandably so, it looked like a human would only be a snack to it, and she had no intention of hanging around to be seconds. The ropes on her wrists finally snapped, falling free, at which she started untying the other Bounty Hunter.

"Alright, now keep quiet." She told him. "While everyone's got their eyes on that thing, the only way we're both gonna get out of here is…"

As soon as he was loose, the man scrambled to his feet, running away screaming his head off. Sadie watched him go, before turning back to see some of the Night Folk had turned back towards her.

"Shit." She exclaimed as she saw a couple of them coming towards her. She ducked down as one of them swung a machete for her head, imbedding it in the tree behind her. She took the spurs in her hand and rammed the spike straight into his throat, bearing him to the ground.

The others were split in their attention between the alligator, Sadie, and the escaping prisoner. She was lucky that some of them seemed to be chasing the one that had run off, but that still left her with a number of Night Folk, including the big bastard that had smashed her head in once already. She removed the machete from the tree, having no time to look for her own weapons. She gripped it tightly, running straight at the nearest of them, burying it deep in its shoulder, down almost to its ribcage, before kicking it off again.

She was surrounded, but if this was it for her, she had no problem with that. She would just make sure that she brought as many of them down with her as she possibly could.

There was a loud growl, and she turned around in time to see the Alligator coming right at her. She dived out the way, at which it instead caught one of the Night Folk that was coming up behind her. She took another out with a shot to the knee, bringing him to the ground, before being picked bodily up off the ground.

The Chief held her in front of him, screaming something unintelligible in her face, before throwing her several feet into the swamp. She got to her feet as quickly as she could, taking up the machete again.

The chief came at her, swinging his massive club in wide circles above his head. Having felt its sting once before, she had no intention to feel it again. She threw herself out of the way as he brought it down, before ducking as it came back. Damn he was fast! His size didn't seem to slow him down at all.

Her leg almost gave out again, and she stumbled as she tried to dodge, this time taking a shot in the ribs. The blow was strong enough to pick her up off her feet and dump her on the ground a couple of feet away. Sadie clutched her ribs as she fought to breathe. The chief was standing over her, raising his club up overhead. Sadie held her hands up over her head in a futile gesture to stop the club, only the huge roar of the alligator distracted them both. The chief turned to see that it had torn apart a few of his people and was dragging another into the river.

Sadie took the opportunity when she had it, grabbing the machete and hacking into his leg. He screamed out, falling to one knee as she got to her knees, aiming the next swing at the arm holding the club. It sank in deep, almost completely severing it. It was lodged so deeply in the bone that she needed to plant her foot on his shoulder to wrench it out. She came around in front of him, staring straight into his eyes.

"My head hurts like hell." She told him, before swinging the machete.

Dawn was starting to break in the camp. Charles was mobilising the gang in the camp, everyone gathering frantically.

"Charles, she's probably…"

"We don't know that!" He cut off Ms Grimshaw. Charles had managed to get separated from Sadie in the woods. He didn't know where she'd gone, and he'd run into an ambush. He'd barely managed to get out himself, but in the dark, he was only just able to find his own way back to the camp. A search then would have been completely fruitless.

"If there's even a chance, we have to try." Abigail agreed, loading up a repeater.

"She's done so much for all of us already, we owe it to her." Pearson said as he tucked his Volcanic Pistol into his belt, and picked up a bolt-action rifle.

"I thought you didn't want to bear arms anymore." Charles commented.

"There are some things worth breaking a promise for." Pearson answered. "We never would have made it this far without her. The least we can do is try and find her."

"Alright, Ms Grimshaw, you, Swanson, Mary-Beth and Tilly stay in the camp, keep an eye on things here." Charles instructed them. "Abigail, Karen, Pearson and I will…"

"Charles…CHARLES!" Swanson called out as he started to point frantically. "It's Sadie!"

They all turned to see Sadie limping along the road, coming towards the camp. She was covered in grime and blood. She was shuffling along the road, dragging one of her legs behind her, clutching her ribs in one hand while her other hand was holding something furry. The other members of the gang rushed to her side.

"Sadie, Sadie, are you alright?" Charles rushed out as he came to her side to help her. "We were just coming looking for you, we didn't know…"

She pushed her way past him as she headed for the camp.

"Sadie, you're hurt." Swanson told her. "We should get you to…"

She pushed her way past him. She shuffled her way towards the stakes with the skulls on top. She reached up, knocking one of the skulls off. She took the item she was holding in her other hand, which turned out to be the Chief's head, and jammed it onto the stake forcefully.

"Sadie?" Abigail asked. Sadie just smiled.

"Hey, Pearson…turns out I saw your alligator." She forced out wearily.

"Sadie?" Pearson asked. She turned towards the cabins, and managed to make it a couple more steps, before flopping face-first to the ground, where she stopped moving. Everyone was very quickly surrounding her.

"Get back, give her some space to breathe!" Charles rushed out. "Sadie, Sadie, can you hear me?"

"She looks to be in a bad way." Swanson told him. "Everyone get back! Charles, we need to get her to the cabin!"

"Hold on Sadie." Charles beckoned her as he slipped his arms under her, picking her up effortlessly. "Just stay with us, it's all going to be OK, just please…stay with us."


	28. You Choose The Path

Sadie started to stir and come around, the air had a bit of a chill in it, but she was bundled under some thick, warm blankets. It felt so good, so warm and familiar that she couldn't help clutching them around her, cocooning herself in them. This felt really good, it felt like the good days back in her own home. The air was crisp and warm, the inside of the cabin was almost impossible to get warm even with the fire well stocked, but some good wood, a bunch of blankets and it felt as close to Heaven as she was willing to believe existed.

The blankets brought such vivid images to her, she couldn't stop smiling, even despite the pain of her injuries. She could swear she could even hear the rattle of a ladle in a pot and even smell some beans cooking up just the way she liked them. In fact, they were exactly the way she liked them, a way that she could only ever remember…

She opened her eyes. It took a little moment or two to focus, but looking around there was stone, wood, a little light came in from a glass window.

"Glass?" Sadie asked. There was no glass in the windows in Lakay. Hell, there weren't even windows! Just holes cut into the wall to allow the light to come in. She rose slowly, her muscles aching as she did so, and started to look around. She was lying in a bed, but not just any bed, her bed. There was a foot locker at the end, the one her dad made for her and Jake as a wedding present. She more she looked around, the less it made sense, but at the same time, it was undeniable. She was back in her own home, the Adler Ranch, out in the mountains.

"What in the…?" She asked, reaching up to her head, which had a huge swollen mass raised at the side. She touched it, and it felt tender to the touch.

"Well, nice to see you up sleeping beauty." She heard a cheerful voice say. Her heart stopped right there; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had to see if it was real. Getting out of the bed, she made her way towards it, finding him kneeling by the fire, attending to the griddle. "I know you've got a skull like a rock, but I was starting to worry."

Sadie held a hand over her mouth, hardly able to breathe as she saw him. He looked towards her and stood up, a look of concern on his face.

"Sadie, you shouldn't be up and about in your night dress, it's freeing in here." Jake told her. "I'll just get you a blanket and…"

Sadie ran to Jake, wrapping her arms around him, clutching him tightly, desperately, like if she ever let go then she would lose him all over again. She could smell the soap on his clothes and the aftershave she used to hate until she'd been with him so long it took her weeks before she could sleep properly without that smell next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her softly.

"Jake, Jake I…I can't…" She stammered as tears ran down her face. "Is this real?"

"Real?" He asked. She parted from him.

"Please, tell me this is real." She told him. "Tell me this ain't some dream, this ain't something that I'm seein' because I got hit in the head too hard or I lost too much blood or…"

"And if those things were the case would that still make this any less real?" He asked her. "I mean, surely what makes things real is in the mind of the person as they perceive the world around them."

Sadie couldn't stop smiling. Jake always did love to read; he had a couple of books on philosophy that always used to say cryptic stuff that she would say was just people thinking too much and trying to sound smarter than they really were while talking a bunch of nonsense. She wiped her eyes as she parted from him a little way.

"I really missed you." She told him. He just smiled in response.

"I'll get you a blanket." He told her. "The beans should be ready soon."

Sadie watched him go to get her a blanket, and in her heart, she felt a warmth, a contentment, a peace that she hadn't in a long time. She did hear something, a distant sound that barely registered. She tried to ignore it, like the buzzing of a fly, but then she heard it again, louder. She could already feel the world around her starting to fade as it grew louder and louder.

Her vision started to blur to another place, almost as familiar, but very different from where she had been. Her body was still wrapped in heavy blankets, but any thought of moving was completely out of the question. Her muscles, the ones that didn't feel like they were made of lead or aching like she'd been worked over by a mountain lion just felt useless and numb. She was dripping in sweat and she couldn't stop shivering no matter what she did. She could barely register what was going on, but as she looked up, she could just about make out Charles and Pearson sitting over her.

"She's still burning up, the fever's out of control." Pearson declared. "Strauss, you got any more…?"

"I've only got one bottle left and it's…"

"Then give it here!" Pearson told him.

"But that's all we have and…"

"Damn its Strauss, don't make me take it from you!" Charles warned him aggressively. He wrung out a cloth and started to run it around her face gently. It was only then he noticed her eyes were open. "Sadie? Both of you, be quiet! Sadie, Sadie are you alright?"

Sadie couldn't bring herself to answer. Her throat felt dry, and her mouth wouldn't respond with anything other than an unintelligible moan.

"Pearson, what's going on?" Charles asked him.

"Charles…I…uh…think you better look at this." Pearson told him. Sadie wanted to interrupt them, she hated people talking over her like she wasn't there, but right now, she wasn't even sure she was. Charles expression was one of revulsion as Pearson pulled away some blankets, showing him something.

"Shit!" Charles exclaimed.

"I…I don't know how much more we can do." Pearson told him. "We need a doctor, a REAL doctor!"

"Maybe…maybe I have something just as good." Charles replied. "Keep an eye on her, don't leave her alone, not even for a minute! Use water to cool her when she burns up, but keep her warm. It's tough on the heart but if there's anyone with a strong enough heart to take it, it's her."

"Wait, where are you going?" Pearson asked him.

"Do you know any doctors that'll come out here?" Charles asked him. "It's a longshot, but…I think I might be able to bring someone who can help."

"Charles, how long will you be gone?" Pearson asked him.

"I'll be as quick as I possibly can." Charles told him. "If you can buy me a couple of days, I should be back by then."

He looked down to Sadie, looking into her eyes as her vision started to become blurry again and the voices all sounded distant.

"Sadie, stay with us." Charles begged her. "Please, stay with us."

Sadie came to again, this time back in her ranch, this time curled up in Jake's arms. He had one arm around her, and the other cradling a book. She had spent many wonderful nights like that. She pulled the blankets around herself, settling in.

"I thought I'd lost you there." He said with a smile.

"I guess I did drift off for a bit." She told him. "I've been havin' the craziest dreams…"

"Are you sure they're dreams?" He asked her.

"Please, don't start that shit." She chuckled. "My head hurts bad enough as it is."

"Yeah, I'm sure it does." He told her. "But it'll pass soon enough."

"I sure as hell hope so." Sadie answered. "Think you could get me a drink?"

"Whatever you want." He told her, getting up and going to the cabinet to look out a bottle. Sadie adjusted her position, pulling the blankets around herself. "Damn my head hurts."

She then paused as she thought about something.

"Jake…how did I hurt my head?" She asked him.

"Come on Sadie, you know the answer to that." He responded. She just shook her head.

"No, I mean…I never hurt my head when I were…"

She suddenly got a sickening realisation.

"This…I never hurt my head like this when…" She fumbled around, looking for her harmonica. She found it, but as she looked at it, she could see her reflection. Her hand went up to her brow…the scar, the one she got when the O'Driscoll's came to her home was there. Turning over the Harmonica, she saw an inscription on it. It was the harmonica Arthur brought her.

"No." She whimpered. She looked to Jake as he took a mournful sigh. "This…this ain't real?"

"It is real Sadie, it's real to you." He told her.

"Am I dyin'?" She asked him. He just shrugged.

"Only you can answer that." He responded. "I mean, you are pretty stubborn when you want to be."

"Jake, am I goin' crazy?" She asked him. He just shook his head.

"Why would seeing a loved one be crazy?" He asked her, coming back and putting a glass of bourbon in her hands, cupping them warmly in his. "You've missed me so much. I can't think of anything more natural than this."

"Jake, can't you just give me a straight answer?" She asked him. He leaned in, kissing her softly on the forehead.

"How about this for a straight answer?" He asked her. "You've never been one to let other people tell you how things go, what's right for you, what you want. Why would this be any different? You get to decide how the story ends now."

Sadie found herself once again in Lakay, little more than an observer as she looked up wearily around her.

"Charles!" Pearson called out.

"How is she?" Charles asked him, an uncharacteristic note of panic in his voice.

"Who's this?" He asked.

"I'm a friend." Another man told him. "What is her name?"

"Sadie." Charles told him. The other man leaned over her, allowing her to see him. He had long, white hair and wore decorative robes. He had leathery, aged skin that looked like he'd spent a lifetime living in the open. He started inspecting her.

"Her symptoms are a lot more severe than I first feared." He said, beginning to pull bottles, herbs and a petzel and mortar out of his bag. "Bring me as much clean water as you can."

The stranger looked down to her.

"Sadie, my name is Rains Fall. I'm going to help you as much as I can." He told her, before looking to Charles. "Hold onto her."

"How bad is it?" Charles asked him. "The fever, it's poisoning isn't it?"

"The infection is severe, that much is not in dispute. I can make something for that." Rains Fall told him. "But I fear it may be the least of her worries."

"What do you mean?" Charles asked him. "Please, my friend, you must help her."

"It's as I feared." He said, inspecting her eyes and checking her head. "Charles, she will need you to stay with her. What I'm about to do is incredibly risky, but it is the only way she will survive."

"If you help her, I swear that I will owe you a great debt." Charles told him.

"My friend, for now your focus should be on Sadie." Rains Fall said as he started to mix ingredients. "The next few hours will be critical."

Sadie returned to the homestead, finding Jake staring at her.

"You dropped out for a moment there." Jake teased her.

"I…I'm sorry, I just…" She started to say, before a thought occurred to her. "Jake, if none of this is real…then are you…?"

"I'm afraid so, yes." Jake told her. "That's one part of the story no one can change."

"I thought I had you back." She whispered.

"I never left, not really." Jake assured her. "You've been carrying me around a long time. Of course, I can't say that's always been the best thing for you."

"I don't know what you mean." She told him.

"Sadie, I think you know what your choices are here." Jake told her. "I love you, and I want what's best for you. If you decide that this is where you want it to end, if this is where you want to call it a day, then I'm right here."

"I want to, I want to be with you again." She told him. "I've wanted you back, wanted to be with you since…."

She stared at the spot on the floor where he'd fallen.

"There are so many times I wish I'd died there with you." She told him. "But I didn't….and because of that, there's still stuff I need to do." Jake just smiled.

"I kind of thought that would be your answer." Jake replied. "Just remember, there's a difference between what you need to do, and what you THINK you need to do. Just the same as there are people you can help and people you can't. Don't waste time worrying too much about the people you can't help, concentrate on the ones you can."

"I…I don't…Jake, what do you mean?" She asked him. "Jake?"

Sadie stirred and started to come around in Lakay. This time, her strength was starting to return to her. She was able to finally move. She was uncomfortably hot and started to remove her blankets. Charles, who was sitting next to her bed, sleeping suddenly woke up.

"Sadie?" He asked. "Sadie! Pearson! Swanson, get in here! Sadie!"

"Here, drink this." She heard a familiar voice say. Rains Fall stepped into view, handing her a cup. "It tastes vile, but it will help you regain your strength."

"Thank you." Sadie said as she took the cup from her. "Um…I guess, we've kind of met?"

"I am happy to meet you properly." Rains Fall responded with a smile. "Charles, I am not a young man anymore, I will need to rest before I return to Waipiti."

"Of course, we'll provide you anything you need." Charles said, shaking his hand warmly. "Thank you."

"Her fever is breaking." Swanson said as he checked over Sadie. "Whatever you did it most definitely saved her life."

"We thought we'd lost you a few times Mrs Adler." Pearson told her. "Poor old Swanson here gave you the Last Rites a couple of times over the last few days."

"Days?" Sadie asked. "How…how long have I been here?"

"Almost two weeks." Charles told her. She just looked to him.

"Two weeks?" She asked. He just nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"The Night Folk haven't been back, whatever you did out there it seems they got the message." Charles told her. "You have no idea how grateful we'll all be that you're back."

Sadie just nodded, but Charles could see something in her.

"What?" He asked her. "Sadie, what is it?"

"Charles…somethin'…somethin' happened to me." She told him.

"What?" He asked her.

"No, you'll…you'll probably think I'm crazy." She whispered. "Hell, maybe I am crazy."

"What is it Sadie?" Charles asked her. "Trust me, you can tell me anything."

A little while later, Sadie and Charles were sitting on one of the walkways overlooking the river. Sadie recounted to Charles everything she had seen in the time she was delirious. The homestead, Jake, everything. Charles sat with her patiently, listening to her as they shared an herbal tea that Rains Fall had shown him how to make to help build up her strength.

"So, what do you think?" Sadie asked him.

"I think that what you saw was exactly what you needed to see." Charles told her. "It was really Jake?"

"Right down to that God-awful aftershave of his." She replied, taking a deep breath.

"My people…my mother's people…they believe greatly in the spirits." Charles told her. "We believe that at times of great strife, they come to us to help us, guide us, show us the way when we're lost."

"Well I got the short straw getting' Jake." She said with a smile. "His sense of direction always was terrible. He could get lost in a one-street town. Not to mention he loved confusin' the hell out of me. I love him more'n anythin' but just once he'd give me a straight answer about somethin'."

She looked to Charles and sighed.

"It was nice seein' him again though." She told him. "Even if it were just my mind playin' tricks on me while I was dyin'."

"I know there are folks from my past I'd like to see again." Charles answered. "I don't think anyone would have blamed you if you decided to stay."

"There was a part of me that wanted to." Sadie admitted. "But as much as I wanted to, there's still so much I need to do first. Jake said he understood, he just said he wanted me to concentrate on people I could help, not on the ones I couldn't."

Sadie put her cup down and leaned on the rail, looking out over the river.

"I may be crazy but…I think he wanted me to help John." She told him.

"John?" Charles asked her.

"The others, we can't help them, we don't know what happened after the ship went down." Sadie said, thinking about it. "But John…he's still in Sisika ain't he?"

"The papers ain't said they've hung him yet." Charles told her. "Sadie, you can't seriously be thinking about…getting him out of Sisika?"

"You don't need to tell me how crazy it sounds. Hell, I know it's crazy!" Sadie answered. "But if he's alive then…there's a chance."

"You're serious about this aren't you?" He asked her. She just nodded. "Well, what do you want to do?"

That, though was the sticking point. She had no idea. She didn't have the first clue how to even get to Sisika, never mind what kind of security or how many guards they had there. Figuring out she wanted to get John out was the easy part, but exactly how she would do that, that was a question she wasn't sure there was an answer to.

"Damned if I know Charles." Sadie sighed. "But one thing I do know is we've got a lot of work to put in."

"Whatever you need." Charles assured her. "Kid Van Der Linde rides again huh?"

"Looks like it." Sadie said with a smile.


	29. The Comeback

Over the next couple of weeks, Sadie concentrated on strengthening the gang's position while also putting out feelers to find a way to get John back. She did get the impression that support for her plan to get John back had somewhat chequered support at best. It wasn't that people didn't want to get John back, but a lot of the gang were extremely sceptical about how likely it was to be able to break him out of one of the most secure prisons in the country, especially now that the gang was down to only a handful of members. Abigail, for obvious reasons, was all for the plan. Karen...it was a little difficult to tell where Karen stood considering the fact that the last time Sadie had spoken to her they'd had a very heated exchange of words and after that she went right back to spending most of her time moping or drinking herself into oblivion.

Charles was always willing to help, but he wasn't around as much as Sadie would like. He told her he had made Rains Fall some promises and was splitting his time between the swamps and Waipiti, helping the natives where he could. She did wish he would concentrate on the gang, especially with how dire things were, but she respected him enough to know it was important to him, and that he would always be there when he was really needed.

She'd learned enough from Hosea to know that information could be worth as much, if not more, than money. Holding up a store or a stagecoach could net a few dollars, but spending some time listening in on a few conversations in the city could find them the best targets to hit and the best opportunities to hit them. What the women lacked in the brute force of Bill Williamson or Arthur Morgan they more than made up for in their wits and their experience in eavesdropping and coaxing conversations. After all, while Bill might be able to beat answers out of people, that also tipped them off to the fact that information was out in the public, but Mary-Beth, Annabel and Tilly found it was pretty simple to get people to just tell them what they wanted to know. Men got very loose tongues when pretty ladies and alcohol were involved.

She was sitting in a tavern, waiting for the ladies to return from their latest fact-finding mission. She had already found Doyle's to be very much to her taste. People there tended to mind their own business and leave each other alone. The blood stains on the floor were a good indication as to why it was considered a good idea to concentrate on your own worries instead of everyone else's.

Sadie was scribbling away on some paper, figuring out her next move as she waited for word from the others. She knew that John had been taken to Sisika, but the papers had gone very quiet about him after that. She did like to hope that no news was good news, after all with one of the most prominent members of the Van Der Linde gang in custody, it seemed likely if they were going to execute him they would like to make a big display about it, to make a spectacle to show what happened to the dying breed of outlaws as the country became "civilised". Of course, with Sisika being on an island, not to mention being one of the most secure prisons in the country, she knew that simply storming up was a good way to end up getting everyone killed. Even getting to the island was going to be a problem before they even thought about what they'd do once they got there. The biggest obstacle was that she was reluctant to commit them to a potential suicide mission when she couldn't even be sure John was still there.

She took a sip from a bottle of beer, when she heard some raucous laughter. She was almost knocked off her stool as a man came staggering over to the counter to order.

"Another bottle of your finest brandy my good chap!" A man declared, before looking to Sadie. "Oh, I'm sorry, do forgive me, uneven floors don't you know. That and it takes the old legs a bit of getting used to being back on old terra firma if you know what I mean."

"What?" Sadie asked as she just stared at him. She was annoyed at being disturbed, but she found very quickly she couldn't maintain her anger just in the sheer ridiculousness of the man standing before her. He was an older man, with a big, bushy, styled moustache, and a beetroot red face that looked like a combination between far too much brandy and a lot of time spent outdoors. He was to put it mildly one of the most bizarrely dressed people she'd ever met. He was wearing a kind of suit, but with it boots, and a long duster, and a long scarf wrapped around his neck, like he was dressing for winter despite the fact that in Saint Denis someone was far more likely to collapse from heat stroke than get a chill. He had a strange leather cap on his head, moulded around it, with a set of goggles perched over his brow. "Uh..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself! Arturo Bullard, pilot extraordinaire!" He said, taking a bow. Sadie just stared at him in astonishment, blinking. "And...you are?"

"Sadie Adler." She told him. "Um...Mrs Sadie Adler."

"Oh dear, well I appear to have spilled your drink, please, allow me to buy you another! No, please I absolutely insist!" He declared as he clicked his fingers for the bartender. "My good man, the same again over here if you will!"

"That weren't necessary..."

"Oh, no, no, no, I was brought up right. If a gentleman makes a mess, it is his duty to set it right!" He said in a bombastic and energetic way that made Sadie wonder if she'd ever fully recovered from her head injury.

"Well, thank you." Sadie replied as she took the beer from the bartender. She took a sip of it. "So...you're a pilot? Is that like a ship captain or somethin'?"

"Well, in a matter of speaking I suppose it is!" He responded. "Of course, instead of those choppy, salty, temperamental waves my ship soars majestically through the skies. Of course, they can be temperamental too."

"Through the sky?" Sadie asked. "Mister, I think you should lay off the brandy."

"Oh, oh my good Mrs Adler! You haven't heard?" He chortled as he heard this. Sadie was feeling a little like he was making fun of her, but his demeanour somehow calmed her enough to curb her instinct to punch him in the face. "No, I have a hot air balloon! Marvellous invention, absolutely marvellous! Air travel, it will be the future don't you know! One day people will leave their horses in the stable, even trains will sit in the shed rusting away and people will fly everywhere!"

Sadie could dimly remember hearing about people trying to fly. She'd even heard that there was one or two that had even succeeded in getting off the ground. Of course, no one really took it that seriously as a viable alternative to horses or trains. It sounded a lot like those horseless carts people would occasionally talk about. It sounded like the kind of pipe dream that would probably be forgotten about in a few years. From what little she'd heard these balloons were slow moving, and took a long time to go pretty much anywhere.

"So, you fly do you?" She asked.

"Yes! Most exhilarating it is!" He told her. "Of course, it is in its infancy right now, I usually just charter tours and short flights for sight-seeing, flying lessons, photography and nature watching and suchlike, but you mark my words, one day flying machines will do everything from delivering goods to transporting people all over the world!"

Sadie just sniggered and shook her head. She was about to dismiss him and go back to concentrating on what she was doing when a thought occurred to her.

"Say, Mr Bullard?" She asked.

"Please, Arturo!" He insisted. She just nodded.

"Sure, why not?" She asked. "Um...say, you...you let out your services right?" Sadie asked him.

"Why of course! Everyone should enjoy the thrill of the open skies!" He declared. "I'd fly everyone for free if I could, but sadly we live in a mercenary world and we all have bills to pay."

"You can teach someone else to fly right?" Sadie asked. "Anyone?"

"Ah...yes, well...not quite anyone." Arturo stammered. "I'm afraid..."

"Yeah?" She asked. "What? My money ain't good enough for you?"

"No, it's just that..." He looked around and pulled in a little closer, gesturing to her to do the same. "I'm perfectly certain that one day someone will invent something that will change things, but...I'm afraid it's far too dangerous for a lady."

"Dangerous?" She asked.

"Absolutely!" He declared. "Believe me, I'd take anyone if I could, but it's just, biology! Women are far too delicate. The altitude plays havoc with their vapours don't you know. Absolutely devastating it can be!"

Sadie just looked at him sceptically. Vapours? What the hell was he talking about? It sounded like the kind of nonsense she'd heard all her life whenever someone tried to tell a woman what they could and couldn't do. However, the idea of flying did sound appealing. If she could convince Arturo to take someone near Sisika with a set of binoculars, they could find out if John was still there without setting foot on the island. She suddenly thought quickly.

"Oh, no, no, no Mr...uh...Arturo. You misunderstand! I weren't thinkin' of me!" She said, thinking it best to humour him rather than confront him. "I have a...uh...friend, he's always dreamed of flyin', told me ever since he were a kid all he ever wanted to do was fly. I was thinkin' it might be a nice present for him."

"Ah, well that's entirely different then!" Arturo told her. He rummaged around in his pockets, finding a card and gave it to her. "Whenever I'm not in the clouds, you can usually find me around one of the local taverns. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a client who's probably wondering where I am."

As he walked back towards the back of the tavern, Sadie watched him go, laughing a little and shaking her head. He was irritating, but amusing with it. She couldn't find herself able to take him seriously or be offended by him. He was an idiot, but he could be a useful idiot. All she needed to do was figure out if it was easier to convince Charles, Swanson or Pearson to go flying in a balloon hundreds of feet in the air. She didn't even register as Mary-Beth, Abigail and Tilly came in.

"Who was that?" Abigail asked her.

"I'm not sure if you'd believe me if I told you." Sadie replied, putting the card away. "So, you find anything?"

"If what I heard is true, I could get us all the guns we'll need." Abigail told her.

"What have you got?" Sadie asked her.

"There's a supply train headin' for Fort Wallace." Abigail informed her. "It'll be headin' to Bacchus Station to be collected before carryin' on to Ambarino."

"A military supply train?" Sadie asked. "Look, I love the enthusiasm but no matter how many guns there are, attackin' a train full of soldiers does not sound like a good idea right now."

"It wouldn't be." Abigail responded with a sly grin. "If we hadn't overheard some O'Driscoll's plannin' to hit it first."

"O'Driscolls?" Sadie asked. "What the hell are they doin' attackin' a military train?"

"You know as well as we do the Pinkertons are done with them after they failed to give them Arthur." Mary-Beth reminded her. "Between that and the ones we killed at Shady Belle, they're in a bad way. They're desperate. They need men, they need guns..."

"So do we." Sadie interrupted her.

"They got men, but they don't have the guns and they're desperate!" Tilly told her. "They're plannin' to hit the train in the hills before it gets to Bacchus Station. Way we see it, we let them and the Soldiers kill each other..."

"Then we come in and finish off whoever's left." Sadie surmised. "That might not be as suicidal as I first thought. When's this happenin'?"

"The train should be heading through Annesburg in a couple of hours." Mary-Beth told her. Sadie just groaned.

"That don't exactly leave us a lot of time for plannin'!" She told them.

"No, but if we're in the area we can keep an eye on things, stay out of it and if the odds don't look good, we just ride off." Tilly told her. "Just a couple of women that took the wrong road on the way to Annesburg."

"I don't like it." Sadie commented. "But right now, I don't see we've got much choice."

She finished up her beer, slamming the bottle down, before turning and heading out of the saloon, mounting up with the others.

They rode along by the tracks, spurring their horses on as quickly as they could. They knew they wouldn't have long before the train passed through. The mountains up in and around the area made the terrain difficult, but offered a lot of cover and good opportunities for vantage points. Sadie directed her small group in a ridge as they saw another fast-moving group up ahead. She had her suspicions, which only seemed to be confirmed as they found an area near the tracks to rest up. She gestured them into cover.

"You got some rifles?" Sadie asked. Mary-Beth had a bolt-action, but Tilly and Abigail only had repeaters. From this range, even a shooter with the experience of John or Arthur would have a hard time with them. She went into the saddle-bags.

"What are you doin'?" Mary-Beth asked. Sadie pulled out some dynamite.

"Alright, this is the ambush, no doubt they've got some riders tailin' the train ready to jump aboard and bring it to a stop here." Sadie told them, thinking through what she was doing. "Once the train stops, there's gonna be a lot of shootin'. Just keep your heads down, wait until the last shots are fired, then make a judgement call. If there are too many, get on the horses and get the hell out. Otherwise, just start shootin'."

"You sure we can manage from up here?" Mary-Beth asked. "It seems kind of far."

"That's why I'll be headin' down a little closer." Sadie told them, pulling on her bandana. "Keep an eye on me. If I move in, start shootin', if not, start ridin' and I'll see you back at camp."

Sadie started to creep down, using the rocks to keep her from view as she made her way down towards the side of the track. There was an O'Driscoll with his back to her as she got to the bottom. He had a good spot behind a boulder, so she headed towards him, drawing her knife. Clamping a hand over his mouth, she slipped the blade between his ribs before he could utter a sound. She dragged him into some bushes out of sight, before taking up his position. Just for good measure, she took his duster. She doubted many of the O'Driscolls knew each other well enough to be able to tell who each other were at the best of times, but with their recent turnover, as long as she didn't get too close, she hoped that she'd pass a cursory glance.

She got into position, shortly before they heard gunfire. She hunkered down to avoid anyone getting too good a look at her, even in her disguise. The train came into view, and she could hear the brakes squealing, while a chaotic battle raged all around. The train came to a stop, not far beyond the ambush point, at which the O'Driscolls broke cover, coming up on the train and pouring in round after round while the guards tried to repel them.

Sadie could only describe what she saw as a battle. Colm was never one to shy away from throwing men at a problem, but she could tell that Mary-Beth hadn't been exaggerating about his desperation as dozens fell on both sides. It seemed that on this occasion, Colm had found enough desperate and greedy bastards to get the job done. Of course by the time the last shots were fired, it was difficult to say that they could be described as winners. There were maybe half a dozen of them left.

"You, go get the wagon!" One of them called out. "Blow the door!"

Sadie stood and watched as one of them used a shotgun to blow the lock off the door to the cargo carriage. They opened up the back. They almost immediately started to start whooping and hollering.

"Colm is gonna love us!" One of them declared.

Sadie decided now was the best time to act, while they were distracted by their haul. Taking careful aim, she took down the first one with a shot through the back. The others reacted to her signal, firing down a hail of bullets, which attracted their attention up on the cliff. Sadie knew that up high and in cover, the women would likely be safe, but the distraction was all she needed. Lighting some dynamite, she threw it into the middle of them. They only noticed it just before it went off, ending the fight abruptly.

Sadie turned her attention back as she heard the wagon approaching. She was taking aim when the man slumped off the seat, landing in a heap after another shot. She saw Abigail riding towards her, the barrel of her repeater smoking. She quickly got to work calming the horse to keep it from bolting with the wagon.

"Sadie, you alright?" Abigail asked. Abigail pulled off the O'Driscoll's duster, throwing it aside.

"If I survive the smell I will be." She responded. "Come on, there's no way we'll be alone for long. Let's look at what we've got."

The women went to the side of the train and looked inside. All of them almost collapsed at what they saw.

"That...that's more guns than I've ever seen!" Mary-Beth gasped.

"Start loadin' the wagon." Sadie told them.

"Sadie..."

"I don't care what with, just as much as you can load within the next minute!" She told them. "There ain't no way we're gonna have longer than that!"

They didn't like the idea of leaving so much, and if they had more members of the gang there was no doubt they'd take as much as possible. The guns were all brand new, top of the range and looked like they'd never fired a shot. There was a fortune in weapons sitting there waiting to be plucked. Anything they didn't want to use could easily sell for a small function, but with Fort Wallace being only a few miles away, they had to assume they'd notice if the train didn't arrive when expected. Hurriedly throwing as many guns and boxes of ammunition onto the back of the wagon as they could, they regretfully had to ride out and leave the majority of it behind.

By the time they got back to the camp and were able to inspect their haul, the mood in the camp was a lot more upbeat than it had been in a long time. As well as losing a lot of friends and their strongest guns, when the ship went down, the gang lost a considerable amount of their arsenal in the process. Now, with the haul from the train they had more guns than they knew what to do with. Literally! There were only nine of them in the gang. They now had far more guns than they were ever going to be able to use. Sadie had never thought about recruiting for the gang before, that was something that Dutch seemed to have the real gift for. Still, now they had one less thing to worry about. They had plenty of weapons, now she was wondering if it was worth starting to think about finding people to use them.

"We've stored guns all around the camp like you asked Sadie." Pearson told her, bringing her some coffee. Sadie took it from him gratefully. "No matter where anyone is in the camp, they'll be able to get a loaded weapon."

"We've still got plenty left." Sadie stated. "Think we should sell some of 'em?"

"I think that would be your call." Pearson told her. "We should get a good price for them."

Charles came into the cabin, returning from his latest trip up to the reservation.

"Charles!" She declared excitedly, gesturing him in. "How're things up in Waipiti?"

"Bad, but at least not as bad as usual." He told her. "They seem to be alright for just now."

He took a brand new repeater from Sadie's hand, turning it over and inspecting it.

"Well, it looks like you've been busy." He stated. "I'd heard about a train being hit up near Bacchus. Never for a minute thought it would be you though."

"Charles Smith, are you sayin' you were worried about me?" She teased him.

"Always." He replied. "But more because the word in the area is that it was the O'Driscolls."

"Yeah, they hit the train first, but we hit them." Sadie informed him. "Wait, everyone thinks...?"

"They're calling it a massacre. O'Driscolls and army slaughtered, a couple of dozen or more." Charles told her. "The Army and the Pinkertons are out for blood."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer feller." Sadie responded, taking back the repeater.

"So, in one move you've managed to pit all your enemies against each other, get all the guns and ammo you'll ever need and bought yourself some time and breathing room." Charles said, sounding impressed. "So, what next Kid Van Der Linde?"

"Right now, I want to concentrate on gettin' John back." She told him. "Now we ain't got half the state breathin' down our necks, things are startin' to look up."

Just then, there was a cry from outside.

"Who goes there!" Ms Grimshaw called out. Sadie and Charles both scrambled for weapons, heading outside to join Ms Grimshaw. Other members of the camp joined them, all clutching weapons. They all started to back down as a figure started to make his way out of the gloom. There was an uncomfortable shift in the camp as he rode into the camp and hopped down off his horse.

"What's a long-lost brother got to do to get a drink around here?" Micah asked, sparking up a match and lighting a cigarette.


	30. The Van Der Linde Gang Reformed

The camp was deathly silent, even quieter than after the first attack of the Night Folk. By now they were starting to come around to the idea that the other members of the gang, those that had gone on the bank robbery, were not coming back. While it wasn't unknown for members of the gang to get separated from the others, the fact was that the shoot-out at the Saint Denis bank had been a bloodbath. While they had confirmed that Hosea and Lenny were dead, and as far as anyone knew John was in Sisika, there had been no word from any of the others since the ship they had stowed away on to escape had sunk. A single lifeboat had been found, but since there were no reports of any arrests it seemed unlikely any of those found were members of the gang.

There had already been a couple of miracle returns. Arthur finding his way out of Colm's clutches, Sean's rescue from the bounty hunters near Blackwater, John's rescue from the mountains. Hell, it was only a short time ago when it was doubtful Sadie would pull through after an infection from her injuries at the hands of the Night Folk had taken her to death's door.

But as many times as miracles occurred, harsh reality also weighed heavily on the gang. Mac Callander had died in custody, agonisingly tortured for information on the gang. Jenny Kirk and Davie Callander died of exposure in the mountains. Sean, Kieran, Lenny, Hosea...the fact was they all knew the dangers of their way of life, and that miracles were called miracles for a reason. The longer it went, the more and more likely it seemed that the others simply perished along with the majority of the crew of the ship. No one said it out loud, but by now most of them were assuming that they were gone for good.

"Well, don't bowl me over with the enthusiasm of your welcome!" Micah snorted sarcastically as he looked around the camp.

All Sadie could think was, of all the people in the world to walk back into the camp, why did it have to be Micah? While there were others that the gang would have had less desire to see, Cornwall, Milton, Colm...there weren't many. Micah wasn't well liked or respected among those that were left. There were a lot of them that only tolerated him because Dutch saw something in him for some reason none of them could fathom.

"Micah, are...are the others alright?" Mary-Beth asked. "Did you see anyone else? Dutch? Arthur?..."

"Well, ain't that a nice how'd you do? I just come back, having marched through the kind of shit and hellfire you people wouldn't be able to imagine and all you can do is ask about the others?" Micah asked. "No, 'how are you Micah? Are you alright Micah?' nothin'?"

"We can all see you're fine." Charles stated abruptly. "Hear it too. So how about the others?"

"I'm tired, I'm hungry and I want a drink!" He grumbled as he tried to shove past. Sadie blocked his path.

"Micah, if you've seen the others, you better tell us." Sadie told him. "Where have you been?"

Micah looked between Sadie and Charles.

"Wait...is she givin' the orders now?" He asked. Everyone started to close ranks around Sadie. Micah just started laughing. "Oh, you are lucky I got here. Don't worry your pretty little head about it darlin', things are gonna be fine now that I..."

Sadie pulled out her revolver, sticking it under his chin.

"This ain't your camp Micah! It's MINE!" She snarled. Micah was about to go for his revolver, but before his hand was even on it, Sadie had cocked the hammer on her revolver, Charles had his sawn-off planted against his temple and everyone else in the camp had guns levelled his way. He took his hands away from his guns and held them up. "Now, I ain't gonna ask you again. Where were you?"

"We washed up on the shore of some shit hole called Guarma." He told them.

"Guarma?" Pearson asked. "The place the rum is from?"

"Yeah, but don't be surprised if there ain't too much rum comin' from there for a while." Micah replied.

"You said 'we'." Charles pointed out. "Who else survived the shipwreck?"

"I don't answer questions to the likes of you!" Micah sneered.

"You'll answer him or your head'll be joinin' his!" Sadie roared, losing patience with Micah as she turned him to point at the decomposing head of the Night Folk's former chief. "Who made it and where are they now?"

"They all did alright?" Micah snapped as he turned back towards them. "Dutch, Javier, Bill and Arthur, we all made it to shore. Dutch thought it was a good idea if we all split up and made our way back separate. I got one of the Uncle Tacitus letters from a post office and made my way here, the others should be along in time."

"They...they all made it?" Swanson asked, a smile beginning to cross his face. "I...I can't believe it, I've prayed and...this really is a miracle!"

"Yeah, well the only miracle I believe in is a stiff drink and some food." Micah stated. "Now, someone get me..."

"You can see where the chuck wagon is; get your own damn drink!" Sadie responded. Micah started to square up to her, drawing himself to full height in a display of dominance, but quickly the rest of the camp was again starting to close ranks. The only reason Sadie was even considering letting Micah back in the camp was because like it or not, she had to admit he was a strong gun, and while the others had done what they could, she could really use more seasoned guns, especially if she was going to get John out of Sisika, but she was damned if she was going to let Micah just waltz back in and start calling the shots. There was no way she would ever entrust the safety of the people in her care to Micah Bell. Micah snorted, spat at her feet, and then walked past, bumping shoulders with her as he went, and headed to the chuck wagon. He spooned himself some stew, went to the wagon to grab some whiskey, and then headed for one of the cabins, taking a look inside. Seeing hammocks, he went inside to rest up. Charles put his sawn-off away.

"I can't believe it." Charles muttered. "That man's like a rat. No matter what happens, he always finds a way to walk out alive."

"Well, at least we know it ain't just him." Sadie told him, putting away her revolver. "Charles, can you keep an eye..."

"You don't even need to ask." Charles assured her. "When it comes to Micah Bell, I'll always have my eyes on him."

The night wasn't exactly a restful one for Sadie. She already had her doubts leading; she had already been considering what to do next. She'd only stayed in Lakay this long largely through necessity and because she wasn't certain where to go next. She was starting to realise what a massive job leading the gang would be, particularly as time went on and it seemed more and more likely that the others wouldn't come back.

She couldn't trust Micah as far as she could throw him. She'd sooner feed him to the albino gator than trust him alone with the others in the camp. She wasn't even sure that she could trust him when he said that the others had made it too. When he saw the resistance at the camp, she wouldn't put it past him to lie in the hopes they'd let him back in while they waited for the others in the hopes of taking over.

She sat for the whole night on watch until morning broke, at which she knew she could trust Charles to keep an eye on Micah. She was asleep almost the moment she hit the hammock. There was only so long even she could keep exhaustion at bay. She was roused a couple of hours later as she heard a cry going up from outside.

"Arthur! Arthur's here!" Pearson called out. Sadie scrambled out of the hammock as soon as she'd heard that. She could hardly believe it. Was it possible that for once Micah, that oily little shit was telling the truth? She got to the window, looking out in time to see a filthy, dishevelled, very pale and weary looking Arthur walking back into camp. Abigail hugged him tightly as she saw him.

"Oh, Arthur, you're alive!" She gushed as she squeezed him like her life depended on it. Sadie knew that she and Arthur were close, that they had been friends for many years. She even got the impression that at once they had perhaps been more than friends, before she had ended up with John. However, she knew that it was a lot more than just seeing Arthur back that caused the lift in her mood. Every member of the gang coming back, every miracle that happened, had to be just another little piece of her faith restored that miracles did happen, and that was exactly what they'd need if she was to get John back. A damned miracle! Abigail was just about holding it together, but she knew everyone had their limits, and a part of her worried when Abigail would find hers. "Come on, come inside, it's raining!"

She ushered Arthur into the cabin where everyone was assembled. They all started to quickly form around to greet him.

"Hey, everybody, look who's here!" Abigail declared.

"How y'all doing?" Arthur asked as he came in, accepting adulation and greetings from the others. He looked like hell, very pale, with dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he'd lost a lot of weight. He coughed a little before coming to a hammock where Uncle was sleeping. Uncle was always sleeping whenever he wasn't drinking. He grabbed him and shook him. "Hey, old man, wake up!"

Charles hugged him, welcoming him back as a brother. Abigail called out to him.

"Arthur, they got John." She told him.

"Yeah, he got arrested." He recalled. "He ain't hung yet?"

It sounded a little harsh when he put it so bluntly, but it was a pretty fair point for him to be surprised about. It had now been some time since the bank robbery. The shoot-out there was plenty of reason for John to have been sentenced to hang in the public square alone. When it was also considered that he had committed capital offences across most of the country, there were plenty of people in law enforcement the length and breadth of the country that would be more than happy to see him with his toes twitching at the end of a rope. It was a surprise he was still alive, though Sadie had come to suspect they hoped that keeping him around might prompt a rescue attempt by the rest of the gang. Like the gang, she wasn't sure if the rest of them were dead or alive, but as time went on it seemed less and less likely they were. Even if they were hoping to flush out Dutch and the others, it seemed likely that they were starting to think they had perished and each passing day was one closer to when they decided keeping him around was no longer worth the trouble.

"Not yet." Sadie told him. "They moved him to Sisika. He's been workin' on a chain gang."

They got Arthur some food and let him rest up. Sadie made sure to keep an eye on him, especially when she saw Micah floating around. He'd already fished some of his own clothes out of the baggage and cleaned himself up. Well, as much as Micah ever cleaned up. But he kept glaring at Arthur.

It wasn't a secret the two men didn't like each other, but Sadie had to wonder if he saw Arthur's return as a potential problem. For Sadie though, she couldn't help but feel like having someone else back in the gang that made Micah think twice was a good thing. Arthur was more than just a strong gun, he was well-respected, one of the senior members of the gang and to many he was the one that would one day take over from Dutch when his time came. If it came down to a choice, she had no doubt that the gang would back Arthur over Micah on any day with the word 'day' at the end. Of course, there was more than that. He was her friend, someone she trusted implicitly, more than she could say for Micah.

Several hours later, the rain was still hammering down over the swamp. Sadie was outside though, getting some air. Arthur came out to see her.

"Fancy some company?" He asked her.

"Always." She answered, gesturing to a crate beside her. Arthur took a seat, at which he lit up a cigarette. He started coughing as he took his first breath. "Are you alright, Arthur?"

"It's just a cough." Arthur spluttered as she handed him a bottle of beer to give him something to drink. Arthur took another drag. "I guess the tropical air didn't agree with me."

"So, Guarma eh?" She asked. "I wasn't sure that place existed, except as a name on a bottle."

"Oh, it exists alright." Arthur assured her.

"So, what's it like?" She asked him. "Were the tropics everything Dutch hoped for? All coconuts and mangos and bananas?"

"Oh, it was pretty alright." Arthur told her. "I saw birds out there, all sorts of colours, more colours than you ever thought were possible. Course, the locals...that were a different matter altogether."

"What happened?" She asked him.

"Let's just say that if you knew how the people that made it were treated, you'd never look at Guarma rum the same way again." Arthur assured her. "Violence, beatings, torture...they was slaves, honest to God slaves. I never would have believed anythin' like that still existed if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"Jesus." Was all she could bring herself to say. Arthur just sighed.

"We got involved in a rebellion to bring it all down." Arthur told her. "I swear to you, that place were closer to Hell than any place I've ever seen or care to see again."

"I can believe it." Sadie answered, taking a slug of beer. "It's good to have you back. Things ain't been the same since you've been gone."

"Yeah, I heard, Caroline." He said with a little smile, referencing the letter she left for him in Shady Belle. "Or...is it Kid Van Der Linde?"

"You heard about that?" Sadie chuckled, seeing him smirking at the nickname she'd been given by the press.

"Oh, Jack was filling me in on a whole bunch of what's been goin' on around here." Arthur told her. "Night Folk? Robbin', gettin' this place up and runnin'? You've been a busy woman Mrs Adler."

"I just did what I could." She told him. He pulled out a revolver, one of the weapons she'd stolen from the train. Arthur had some weapons he brought from the island, but they were just what he could get his hands on. Dirty, old...one of the rifles he was carrying looked like it was older than he was. He inspected the revolver.

"I'd say you've done a bit more than that. This place, these weapons, I'd say it looks like you've done a lot better than anyone could have expected." Arthur told her. "I were lucky the weapons I had didn't backfire on me."

"You've got to take care of your weapons." She said, ironically poking fun at the time he made fun of her for using a weapon she'd looted from an O'Driscoll, only to have it backfire on her.

"You've done good Mrs Adler, real good." Arthur told her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Thank you for comin' back." She replied, putting her hand on his.

"Sadie, Arthur, get in here!" Strauss yelled. "It's a miracle, Dutch and Javier are back!"

They both headed inside, finding the rest of the gang clamouring around the newest arrivals. Charles was helping Javier into a hammock. He'd suffered a leg wound in Guarma which still hadn't fully healed up.

"Dutch, Dutch, they got John!" Abigail told him.

"Okay, Okay." He said to her in a reassuring manner. Despite the fact he looked like he'd been dragged through the swamp by the albino alligator, he still seemed to carry the same authority he always did.

"He's back, he's back!" Pearson called out cheerfully. Sadie couldn't feel badly about the fact he was happy to see Dutch back to take control. There was a large part of her that was glad to hand the gang back to him. Although she had lead the gang now for several weeks, the one thing she found in that time was how huge a job it really was. She had done it because she had to. Seeing Dutch back, she was only too happy to let him take that burden off her once more.

"How'd you folks find each other?" Dutch asked, impressed to find that so many of them had come back. With the exception of Molly, who had decided to take her chances on her own once Dutch was gone; the whole gang with the exception of those who had fallen had come to Lakay. "Can someone get me a cup of coffee or something?"

"It was Mrs Adler who saved us Dutch." Strauss declared as he pointed to her. "She got us away from the camp before the Pinkertons turned up."

He paused as Tilly came, giving a cup of coffee to Dutch.

"Then Mrs Adler and Mr Smith drove away the degenerates who were living here." He concluded. Sadie looked to Dutch, who just inspected her thoughtfully.

"Mrs Adler, we owe you." Dutch told her, with a father's pride in his voice. Sadie had never been one to seek the approval of others before, but she couldn't deny feeling a warm glow coming to her as she heard him say this. Everyone in the cabin with the exception of Micah raised their drinks and cheered her. She almost felt embarrassed to hear all this adulation. She had felt like she was barely keeping her head above water most of the time. Half the time she had no idea what she was doing and just tried to convince the others she did, and the half where she did know what she needed to do she was doubtful she'd succeed. Still, here she was, being praised by the legendary Dutch Van Der Linde himself, and it was one of the best feelings in her life. "Thank you."

"It's been real hard Dutch." Tilly told him. "We've been surviving but only just."

This deflated Sadie a little. She'd struggled, sure, but for all this time, now they had a home, they had money, they had weapons...she didn't claim for a minute she'd been anything like Dutch, but she hadn't done that badly.

"Times have been tough. There ain't no doubt about that." Dutch responded. "Trust me, I am gonna get us out of here."

Out of Lakay? That did strike Sadie as odd. Why would they be in such a hurry to leave? Sure, it was never going to be claimed it was the best place to live, but since they'd done some repairs and got some supplies in, gotten rid of the Nigh Folk for good...it wasn't the worst place in the world and at least the Pinkertons and the O'Driscolls left them alone to figure out what to do next. Why leave when they hadn't even figured out anywhere safe or better to go?

"This ain't over." Dutch assured them. Micah just snorted.

"Ain't any of you interested in our adventures?" He asked.

"Guess we were more interested in escaping the hangmen on our tail." Abigail responded sharply. Sadie was glad she did, she just was not in the mood for Micahs' self-aggrandising bullshit. No doubt if Micah told the tale, he'd have single-handedly saved everyone on Guarma.

"Cheerful nymph of the prairie, wasn't you, Abigail." He said sarcastically.

"Oh, sure. My fair heart jumps for joy when I see you Micah!" She answered. Sadie suppressed a laugh that was so strong she felt beer in her sinuses, only barely stopping it coming out of her nose. When it came to sarcasm, Abigail gave as good as she got and then some. Micah had picked the wrong victim. "We buried Lenny and Hosea. We stole their bodies from the law one night and gave him a proper burial. It was real nice."

Dutch nodded morosely and raised his cup wordlessly in a toast to his oldest friend. Everyone in the cabin did the same. Just as they had done this, the door flew open and the hulking form of Bill Williamson stormed in.

"Well, here you is!" He yelled in something of an irate rant. "I asked everyone I could find and eventually someone knew!"

Sadie just glared at him. He was upset at being inconvenienced trying to find them? What did he expect, that they just sit tight at Shady Belle? That they put up signs and directions to their camp? They'd have been as well to tie the nooses round their necks themselves! It wasn't her fault he was too dumb to remember the system they usually used to find each other again when they split up. He looked straight to Sadie.

"Shit, get me a drink or something!" He barked at her.

"Get your own damn drink!" Sadie snapped at him. There was no way she was going to take that from Bill. If it wasn't for her, the gang would have been killed, arrested or scattered to the winds by now. She wasn't going to act as Bill Williamson's serving maid.

"In our absence, Mrs Adler here has been looking after things." Dutch informed Bill, standing in her defence. Bill backed down from Dutch sheepishly as he handed him some whiskey. "Now sit down!"

Bill silently took a seat, grunting something under his breath that Sadie decided to take as an apology. She didn't have the energy for any further argument. She looked around the room, and it lifted her spirits to see. Here they were, the Van Der Linde Gang, all back together. Those that had survived anyway. Things were looking up for them before, but now that Bill, Javier, Dutch and Arthur were back? It was only a matter of time before they were back on top.

"This is Agent Milton of the Pinkerton Detective Agency!" They heard a chillingly familiar voice calling from outside. The Pinkertons? Here? How would they even think to come here? The main attractions of Lakay were that it was far enough out that they didn't want to go there, were afraid to go there and didn't give a shit about it.

"Already?" Dutch asked, mirroring Sadie's thoughts a little more concisely. "Oh shit."

"On behalf of Cornwall Kerosene and Tar, the United States Government, and the Commonwealth of West Elizabeth, we are here to arrest you!"

"Here we go." Arthur grunted as he went to the window to look out. Dutch joined him while Sadie started handing out weapons.

"Jesus, is that a Gatling gun?" Dutch asked as he looked out the window.

"Give them to the count of five and then give them everything." They heard him say to his underlings. "Actually...LET THEM HAVE IT!"

"GET DOWN!" Arthur called out as they opened fire.


	31. The Battle of Lakay

Everyone in the cabin hit the floor as bullets and wood splinters started flying, covering up as much as they could. Milton didn't seem to be overly concerned with the option of bringing the gang in alive. Sadie covered her head as splinters rained down on her. She looked aside, seeing Abigail sheltering Jack as much as she could from the flying debris. It burned her up to see that. Milton had ordered the Pinkertons to open fire, knowing full well that there were women and children in the cabin. The maniac had ordered them to open fire when a five year old boy was in there with them.

There was nothing anyone could do. Returning fire would be fruitless, raising themselves above the floor was suicide and from the floor all they could do was fire into the walls and hope for the best. It was a vain hope that they'd run out of bullets before everyone was dead. Thanks to Cornwall, even if they did run out of rounds for the Gatling gun while some of the gang were still alive, there was bound to be a small army ready to storm in to take out whatever was left.

"Ask everyone you could find, did you Bill?" Arthur growled angrily as the bullets tore through the building. It was more than a little bit of a coincidence they had shown up after Bill did. It was possible someone recognised one of the others and reported it, but given that Bill, a man whose face graced wanted posters in sheriff's offices and post offices from one end of the country to the other had literally just wandered around asking people about the gang it seemed more likely that they had been put on his trail. Sadie looked around for inspiration. The cabin probably wouldn't last much longer under this abuse, and anyone that wasn't killed when it came down would probably be picked off as they tried to escape.

Her eyes came to rest on the back door. It led out towards the river. While it was possible they had boats, she didn't really see much of an option. The front door led straight to a waiting Gatling gun. If, however, they hadn't sent someone up the river, then going out the back could let them get out unseen.

"Arthur, come on!" She called out to him, beginning to crawl along the floor. "Follow me!"

"This is real bad!" Arthur commented as he followed her. "Everybody stay down!"

One of the bullets hit a lantern, spilling paraffin all over the place, lighting up the cabin. It only added another factor to their need for immediate action. Once she was out the back, she came around the side of the cabin, keeping out of sight. Arthur was close behind her.

"Where are we going?" Arthur asked.

"This way, there's a trapdoor into the other house. We can try to flank 'em." Sadie told him. Arthur looked impressed as he heard her say this. The Gatling gun was the main issue, whatever it pointed at was as good as gone, but like any other gun, it was only dangerous if there was someone to fire it. If they could ambush them from the side, they could take care of the Gatling gun before he realised someone was in a position to shoot.

Sadie dropped from the walkway to the riverbank, slowly making her way around, keeping her head down. She hoped that the Pinkertons would keep their attention on the cabin and not notice them. It seemed that in his arrogance, Milton hadn't considered that they had prepared for an ambush, but when they were squatting on what at one time had literally been the Night Folk's home, Sadie wanted to be ready for anything.

They got to the side cabin and climbed up the trapdoor inside. By the time they got inside, taking positions either side of the door, the Pinkertons had stopped firing. Milton called out to them once more.

"You fools weren't listening to me, were you?" He taunted them from the safety of his army. "I showed you mercy, you mistook it for weakness."

Mercy? Who was Milton trying to kid? The only reason he'd shown 'mercy' back in Rhodes was because it was only him and his flunky Ross in the camp with the entire gang. He'd come to try and get them to give up Dutch in exchange for being allowed to leave. He hadn't even given them the five seconds he'd promised them to come out of the cabin to be arrested before he unleashed the Gatling gun.

"Why've they stopped shooting?" Sadie asked. Arthur shook his head. Clearly he didn't have any more idea what Milton was thinking than she did.

"Now I will show strength, and you may mistake it for brutality!" He yelled.

Now, his hypocrisy was really starting to grate. If the firepower he'd already thrown at the cabin was what he considered mercy, she had no wish to see what he considered strength.

"There is no escape for any of you!" He warned them. "I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth and the end of time!"

"This idiot is really starting to irritate me!" Arthur growled as Sadie fetched a repeater out of one of her hiding spots, throwing it to Arthur along with a bandolier, which he threw on. He checked the breach of his repeater, satisfying himself that it was loaded.

"I've killed your friends!" Milton reminded them. "And I've enjoyed killing them!"

This was precisely the wrong thing for him to say if he wanted to inspire them to surrender. Arthur looked to Sadie as he got into position, preparing to kick the door open. Sadie took up position next to him.

"And now I'm gonna kill each and every one of you!" He continued. Arthur kicked the doors hard, opening them up. With expert timing and aim, he made sure the first shot went straight through the ear of the man on the Gatling gun. Milton dived behind a wagon for cover as Arthur and Sadie took advantage of the surprise to drop some of the Pinkertons with their first volley.

"We need to push them back!" Sadie yelled.

"OK, let's go!" Arthur replied as they came out of the cabin, taking advantage of the Pinkerton's initial confusion to inflict all the damage they could. They had gotten the drop on the Van Der Linde Gang with their initial assault, but that also meant they were confident, and had no cover from the first assault. Arthur and Sadie made them pay for that confidence, giving the other members of the gang time to compose themselves enough to arm themselves and come out to help.

True to form, Milton had come with a veritable army. Cornwall's money was able to buy a formidable force against them, but there was nothing more dangerous than a Van Der Linde with their back against a wall, and now they had their strongest guns back, they were back to full strength.

Arthur leapt up onto the back of the wagon with the Gatlin gun and turned it against them, firing into the woods. Dozens of Pinkertons fell, limbs being severed and bodies torn apart under the onslaught. It took a while, but eventually the Pinkertons that were left realised that the advantage was lost and started to run. The gang picked off some of them as they fled, making sure they got the message what would await them if they came back.

"That's right, you better run you spineless sons of bitches!" Sadie screamed after them as they ran.

"You saved us Arthur." Dutch commended him as he came out of the cabin. Arthur leapt down from the wagon, but fell against it, looking exhausted, propping himself against it for support.

"Well, me and Bill and Sadie." He corrected him, coughing a little into his sleeve. Sadie looked to him with some concern, but Arthur just waved it off as he steadied himself.

"You OK son?" He asked.

"Fine." Arthur said in a rather unconvincing way. "What, what do we do Dutch?"

"Clearly we need to leave." Dutch told him. "It'll take some time to regroup."

For once, Sadie agreed with Dutch on this matter. Not because they had anywhere to go, but thanks to Bill it was clear their current camp was now exposed. As much as they had done to build this place up, it would all be for nothing if Milton came back. Just because they had turned away one army didn't mean they wouldn't send another. Thanks to Cornwall, they could just keep sending more and more men until everyone was dead. Like it or not, Lakay was no longer safe. It looked like the Night Folk were going to get their home back after all.

"Ms Grimshaw, Mr Pearson, start packing up!" He instructed them. "Bill, Javier, go scare off any scum that are still loitering about. We need a couple of days."

"What's next Dutch?" Arthur asked as Dutch leant on the wagon next to him. It was a good question, one that Sadie was glad that Dutch was being asked to answer. She didn't know if she had an answer.

"We just need time. I...I just...need time!" Dutch told him. It wasn't much of an answer, not much of an answer at all. Sadie couldn't remember hearing Dutch sounding less than certain about anything before. Right now though, he sounded harassed, weary, almost like he was asking for time from the gang, not Milton.

"Now, we can't go east, because then we'd be in the ocean, so we're gonna go north, I guess?"

That question didn't sound like Dutch at all. Dutch was someone who always had a move in mind, who always sounded like he had his next move planned, and several alternatives along with it, but now he was asking rather than saying what he was going to do.

"I just need one of you to buy me..." He started pounding a fist on the wagon in frustration. "Goddamn time, one of you!"

"You'll figure it out Boss, you always do." Micah responded.

"What are you gonna do about John, Dutch?" Abigail asked.

"John?" He asked, almost like he had forgotten completely about him. Not just that he had forgotten it as a priority, but almost like he had forgotten John was even a person, a part of the gang.

"He's in jail!" She reminded him.

"W...w...we'll get him." Dutch said, holding up his hands, trying to calm her. "Abigail, just...not yet."

"There's talk of hangin' him!" Abigail pressed on.

"It's not gonna come to that!" Dutch said, starting to walk away. Sadie couldn't help wondering if he was trying to convince Abigail or himself on that last part. If Milton alerted the local law that the Van Der Linde Gang had indeed survived the shipwreck, then that might buy a little more time as they renewed hope that they would try and mount a rescue mission, but that presumed he told anyone. It was possible he'd want to save face by trying to keep going after them himself.

"Dutch!" She screamed as he walked away.

"Miss, I...not now!" He said as he headed into the cabin. Abigail next turned to Arthur and Sadie for help.

"I'm begging you to, he's...they're gonna hang him." She implored them, struggling to hold in her tears. "It would break my...the boy's heart. Please, do something."

"We will." Sadie said without a moment's hesitation. It was always her intention to go for John, she had already promised she would, but until now the gang needed her there more than they needed her running off trying to figure out how to get him out of an island prison he might not even be in any more. Sadie could see the way Arthur was looking at her as Abigail walked away. He always promised he'd ride with her, now she was going to put that to the test.

"OK, I'm going to go figure out how we rescue this bastard." She said as she looked towards the horses. Now that the rest of the gang was back, she could be spared to spend more time to figure out if John was even still on Sisika, never mind how to get him out.

"Now?" Arthur asked. She thought about it for a moment, when a thought came to her. She reached a hand into her pocket, pulling out a little card and smiled.

"Yeah, now." She replied. "Meet me in Doyle's Tavern."

With that, she headed for the horse station, mounting up and spurred her horse on, leaving Arthur none the wiser.

It was very late by the time she arrived in Doyle's. The clientele was at their intellectual peak of the evening, and Sadie had to dodge out of the way as two men twice her size tumbled straight out of the door straight past her, rolling around on the ground throwing clumsy haymakers into each other. She just laughed a little.

"God, I love this place." She commented as she went inside. She had a look around, trying to find what she was looking for. She smiled as she found what she was looking for. At the end of the bar, Arturo was slumped on the counter, snoring loudly, his goggles askew and his leather cap a little off-centre. Sadie came over to him, taking the glass out of his hand, which stirred him.

"Huh, what?" He stammered, looking confused.

"Same again over here barkeep." Sadie declared. "Mr Bullard, how nice to see you again."

"Oh, right, you're Mrs uh..."

"Adler." Sadie reminded him, sitting next to him as the barman brought over drinks. "How are you this fine evening?"

"Not so good, truth be told Mrs Adler." He mumbled as he put the glass to his lips, throwing back the drink. "I had a client today, promised to meet me in the marsh, just outside of town. Promised to pay me cash and then wouldn't you know it? The blighter never showed up!"

"No, really?" She asked him.

"I know! The very height of rudeness!" Arturo blustered as he swayed a little on his stool. "Why, I even paid some local men to take my balloon out to the marsh. Of course, since the client never showed up I didn't have any money to pay them! Blighters refused to bring my balloon back until I paid them so they just left it there! I'd have paid them if they let me come back to the city of course, but oh no, we're long past the day and age where a gentleman's word is seen as his bond. Now not only have I wasted a whole day waiting for an ill-mannered oaf that never showed up, but I have to go back tomorrow to collect my equipment!"

"You don't say?" Sadie gasped in a feigned concern. "So...what you're sayin' is your balloon is still out there ready to go?"

"Well, yes I suppose." Arturo responded. "But without a client I don't really see much point in..."

Sadie pulled out a wad of money and slammed it down on the bar. Arturo's bloodshot eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the stack of bills, before looking to her. Sadie just sighed.

"You remember that friend I were talkin' about? The one that wanted some flyin' lessons?" She asked him. "He just became available."

"You must like this friend very much Mrs Adler." He responded, taking the money and starting to count it out. "Are you quite sure about this?"

"Oh, I'm very sure." She told him. "I'll see you out there with my friend tomorrow mornin' bright and early."

"Oh, yes of course, bright and early! Want to catch those early morning breezes!" Arturo replied as he got off his stool, finishing his drink and putting down the glass. "Tell your friend to make sure he's got his wits about him. I'm a tremendous pilot but bad things can happen at altitude if you don't..."

He tripped over his own stool and landed in a heap on the floor. He got up, dusted himself up and took a deep breath.

"...yes, as I was saying, bad things can happen at altitude if you don't have your wits about you!" He finished as he turned and staggered out the door. Sadie just rolled her eyes, shaking her head and laughing.

"Whiskey and a room for the night." She told the barman. "Arthur is just gonna love him."

Back in the present, Sadie was fondly recanting the story.

"I tell you, those days in Lakay was somethin' else." She told him.

"So, you were the one that got John Marston out of Sisika?" He asked her.

"Shh." Sadie told him.

"I'm sorry; of course we should discuss this more..."

"I said shut up!" Sadie told him, looking over to another corner of the bar. She seemed to be looking at a table where some men were playing some poker to pass the time while they drank. Another man came to join them, greeting them as he arrived, before heading off towards the bathroom.

"Wait here." She told him, getting up and heading towards the bathroom.

"Mrs Adler, I don't believe there's..." He said, before she barged in, closing the door behind her. "...more than one bathroom."

He just sat, nervously watching for her to come back. Sadie came back a short time later, mopping her nose with her wrist.

"Mrs Adler, are you...?"

"It's fine." She told him. "Come on, we should be goin'."

"But...but..."

"You want to hear the rest of the story don't you?" She asked him. "Then come on!"

"Is that...blood?" He asked her, gesturing to her nose. She just sighed.

"Yeah, well it ain't the first time, come on!" She told him. "We've got a train to catch!"

"A train?" He asked. "Where to?"

Just then, the man that had gone into the bathroom before Sadie stumbled out, crashing through a table. His friends at the table all immediately rushed to his side, before looking her direction.

"Right about now, anywhere but here!" She told him. "Come on!"

Levin didn't need told twice as he swept his papers and his pens into his bag and ran out of the bar. Sadie fended off the first of the men, punching him in the face and sprawling him on the floor before she ran out after Levin. Leaping onto her horse, she spurred it on, with Levin not far behind her.

"Mrs Adler, what the devil was that all about?" He demanded.

"What? You don't think I can spend all day just yammerin' on about my past adventures do you? I got a job to do!" She replied, wiping her nose again, before spitting. "Bastard, if it's broken I'm goin' back for him."

"You were working?" He asked. She just nodded.

"Mr Levin, I'm always workin'." She assured him. "Now come on!"

Levin could only hold on for dear life, spurring his horse on as he and Sadie sped out of Saint Denis. He hadn't exactly enjoyed his night camping out in the swamp, but by comparison to his time with Levin, so far getting the story from Sadie had been a much more pleasant experience. With Calloway every other day was a storm of threats, brawls and even the occasional gunshot. His story had concluded with him watching Arthur Morgan shoot the man dead.

Now he knew Sadie was working, he was starting to wonder how safe he'd be with her!


	32. Icarus

After the incident in Doyle's, Sadie and Levin rode straight out of town. They rode hard for at least a couple of hours. Levin still didn't know what exactly had happened. That is to say he didn't know the details of why Sadie had attacked the man in the bathroom, but what he did know was that it turned violent very quickly and she was keen to get on the next step of her journey. She didn't strike him as the type of person who was ever really afraid of much, he had a feeling it was more likely she wanted to get on the next step of her journey before word spread about the fight.

They got to Rhodes a little before dark, just in time for the train, but they hit on another problem. They'd left so quickly that Sadie hadn't even taken time to get cleaned up or treat her bloody nose. It was quite something to watch a blood-covered Sadie and a train conductor have a blazing row as to why exactly he was refusing to let her on the train, but for once, this was one fight that Sadie lost. She could take on scores of O'Driscolls, Pinkertons, dangerous criminals, but it seemed even Sadie couldn't defeat bureaucracy. The conductor simply was not going to make the rest of his customers uncomfortable by letting a woman whose shirt was more or less saturated in blood onto the train.

It did give Levin an opportunity to get a little comfort for once, since Sadie needed to clean up and get changed, she had agreed, just this once, to get a hotel room. Levin was sitting in the corner as she cleaned up her face and inspected the damage in the mirror.

"Well, it don't look broken." Sadie said, inspecting her nose. It didn't look like it was misshapen, but it had bled very heavily, and the area beneath her right eye was starting to darken noticeably. "Well, looks like I don't have to go back and have a word with that son of a bitch how to treat a lady."

"I believe you attacked him." Levin pointed out.

"I never attacked him! I just went to scare him and ask a few questions!" Sadie protested. "He was the one that started throwin' hands. I just finished it."

With precisely no modesty at all, Sadie pulled off her blood-stained shirt. Levin immediately turned away, covering his eyes, but he did catch sight of her body. There were quite a number of old scars all across her body, but there were also a lot of fresh bruises. It seemed that the fight in the bathroom had been a lot more than just a minor scuffle. He couldn't imagine what Sadie had to do to the other guy if she had been the 'winner' in that fight. He heard her chuckling.

"Sorry, I spend so much time on my own, sometimes I forget." She told him, looking out another shirt and pulling it on. She tucked it into her pants and straightened out her hair. "Alright, you can look now. You are quite the gentleman Mr Levin."

"Well, I've been described a number of ways, but it's the first time in a while anyone's accused me of being a gentleman." Levin replied.

"Another train leaves in the morning." Sadie told him. "So, you want to get a drink and hear some more of the story while we wait?"

"That sounds most agreeable." Levin said as he followed her out of the room. Sadie took him to the local tavern. It had to be said, the saloon in Rhodes was a lot more up-market than Doyle's, not that it would be particularly difficult to accomplish that. He sat down at a table while Sadie brought over a couple of beers.

"So, this place was built by the Grays was it?" He asked her.

"Yeah, it was." Sadie told him. "Course, it's been a long time since all of that went down. The Sheriff here's been workin' real hard to turn things around since then."

"But the Grays and the Braithwaites…didn't all that end years ago?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"It did, but these things run real deep." Sadie answered sagely. "Town this small, there were always distant relatives for a good long time after that. A lot of money that kept this place runnin' suddenly ran dry and folks had been so used to both families runnin' things it took a while for them to figure out what to do once they were gone."

"I have to say, this place is a lot nicer than Doyle's." He commented with a little smile. "No offence Mrs. Adler, but this is just…so much more…fit for human habitation."

"I learned a long time ago fancy furniture and a nice coat of varnish don't make a place civilised." She told him, looking around. "You see that table over there? That would be Lemoyne Raiders. Over there, those two jokers ran a still out in the woods back in the day, but once the Braithwaites were gone, they expanded. Now they pretty much run the local hooch racket."

"At least no one here is getting punched in the toilets." Levin pointed out.

"No, but it wouldn't be the first time there were a duel around here." She responded. "The undertaker's buried more'n a few people around here that didn't take kindly to someone else's words."

"Were you ever involved in one of those duels?" He asked. Sadie just looked at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Right…sorry I asked."

"So, where were we?" She asked, trying to recall. "Um…a little help here Mr Levin?"

He just looked to her.

"I just got punched in the face." She reminded him. Levin looked out his notes and started to read through them.

"Ah, here we are. You were in Doyle's and waiting for Arthur." He reminded her. Sadie just nodded.

"Oh, yeah, that's right." She told him. "A lot of my memories are around that place, but that one…that were definitely a wild day alright."

Back in the past, Sadie came down from the room she had rented, into the main bar of Doyle's, tossing the key onto the counter. The barman took the key and slipped her a note.

"Mr Bullard stopped by and asked me to give you this Mrs Adler." He told her. She took the note and read it, confirming that he had gone back out to his balloon to set it up. He had assured her that he would have everything by the time she arrived. Sadie just folded the note, putting it away in her pocket.

"Any chance of some breakfast?" She asked the barman. He just shrugged.

"Bacon and beans?" He asked her. She just sighed.

"Go on." She responded, throwing some money on the counter. "And coffee, the good stuff you drink, not the shit you serve the customers!"

She sat at the bar and waited on Arthur coming to meet her. She knew there was a lot going on for the gang right now. With Dutch and the others coming back, they had a lot of their strong guns back, and thanks to Sadie they had plenty of guns and ammo ready for when they started working again, but with the Pinkertons on their tail, having shown up at Lakay, they had to move and move soon. Dutch had said something about going North, of course he hadn't said WHERE, and North covered a hell of a lot of ground.

She sat at that bar for a good couple of hours. People came and went, and there were only so many coffees she could drink. By the time mid-day rolled around, she ordered herself a beer. She was starting to regret never specifying a TIME she wanted Arthur to meet her, he never was a guy that was overly concerned about timetables. If anyone believed in the live free and by your own rules philosophy it was Arthur.

She was just starting on her beer when the door opened and he walked in. She couldn't help noticing how pale he looked, or the fact he steadied himself on the doorframe on his way in. He had dark circles under his eyes, and while he had never been what anyone could call fat, he now looked very thin, like he had lost a lot of weight incredibly quickly. She didn't doubt that in his time on Guarma he probably didn't have a steady diet or a lot of rest, but as he came over to the bar, he started coughing, and ended up spitting on the floor. The look in his eyes was distant, and afraid, something she had never seen in him before. He didn't even notice she was sitting there; it was like he was concentrating on something else. Sadie ordered him a beer and came over.

"Any trouble comin' in?" She asked him.

"Nah." He replied.

"Guess they know now we ain't in the city." Sadie responded.

"Who? Mr Milton and his friends?" Arthur asked her.

"Yeah, they had patrols up since you boys disappeared." She told him, handing him the bottle as he coughed a little. He took it, and took a long gulp. Perhaps that was all he needed, something to ease a dry throat. She could still feel that something wasn't right about him though. There was a small mark on his sleeve, a little spot of blood around the area of the elbow joint. Arthur seemed to notice her staring at it and hid his arm. "Well, at least you're alive."

"For now, yeah." Arthur said in a very strange tone. She couldn't quite place what exactly about it bothered her. Arthur was normally very up front in everything he said and did. He wore his heart on his sleeve so to speak. If he was happy, it wasn't hard to tell. If he was angry, there was really no way anyone could mistake the fact. But his tone, she couldn't quite place what it was. Fear? Confusion? Sadness? Maybe something had happened in Guarma?

"So, what happened in uh…" She asked, trying to coax something out of him.

"Guarma?"

"Yeah." She answered.

"Nothin' nice." He said, through another cough. Sadie leaned in closer.

"What happened to Dutch?" She asked him. "Cause he seems…"

"I don't know." Arthur said sadly. "Seems as if what began happenin' in Blackwater began happenin' years ago, maybe."

She didn't know what to make of that. She had only known Dutch since he saved her from the homestead, she hadn't known him in Blackwater or before, but while she had been listening to Dutch for a long time, slowly coming more and more to his way of thinking, his philosophy on life and freedom, particularly after he finally told her after the battle at Shady Belle that he would bring her on his campaign against the O'Driscolls, she had noticed in Lakay, after he came back, that just felt a lot less like the controlled, considered man she had seen before. There wasn't the same certainty, the same feeling that he had an answer that there had been before. Now, Arthur was telling her that he had been having doubts before then? Before Blackwater? She still wasn't exactly clear on what happened in Blackwater, other than it left a lot of people dead and a price so high on the heads of most of the gang none of them would dare go back.

"A slow decline I guess." Arthur finished as he finished his beer. Sadie finished hers as he started to walk out the door. She didn't know why, but there was something about his tone that made it almost feel like he might not even be talking about Dutch when he said that. Perhaps he was talking about the gang as a whole. About the ideals they followed unquestioningly for years.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I ain't quite sure." Arthur brushed it off as they headed for the door.

"So, what happened here?" He asked her.

"I kept people together as best I could." Sadie told him. "Molly, she took off…don't rightly know where, but…didn't feel like no great loss. John, you know that part."

"I do." Arthur answered. Of course, he knew, she thought as she almost kicked herself. She'd asked him to meet her here specifically so they could go over a plan to get John back from Sisika.

"And Hosea?" She asked him.

"I saw that too." Arthur responded sadly. Arthur had been an orphan, a runaway when Dutch and Hosea found him. They were the closest things that he had ever had to parents.

"We got Lenny's body out as well." Sadie assured him. "Broke into the morgue and buried them together."

Arthur was quiet as they both mounted up. He'd lost friends before; he'd been in the gang a lot longer than Sadie. She figured that perhaps after they were done here, she could show him where they buried them so that he could say his own goodbyes.

"Follow me." She told him.

"So, what's your plan here?" Arthur asked. That was a classic Arthur move. He pushed the bad stuff to the back of his mind and focused on the task in hand. He was always more like Hosea than Dutch when it came to plans. He didn't like to just come up with an idea and go along with it, he liked to get details, figure out the likely pitfalls and surprises that could come up. He wanted to be ready for anything.

"Well, I figure before we do anything, we need to make sure John's even still in this prison." She explained as they rode through town towards the city limits.

"And how do we do that?" Arthur asked her.

"We need to get high enough up to get a proper look at the place." Sadie told him. Arthur just laughed a little. It felt good to hear him laugh again, even if it was at the details of her plan.

"What? It's on an island ain't it?" He chuckled. "Unless you're plannin' on learnin' how to fly." A smile crossed her lips. This was the part she'd been waiting on.

"That's exactly what we're gonna do." She informed him. "I found us a hot air balloon." Arthur just looked to her sceptically.

"You ain't serious?" He asked her.

"Now, the pilot, or whatever you call him, he thinks we're just in it for a lesson, for a bit of a tour." Sadie continued, taking a little bit too much fun in Arthur's scepticism of this plan. She was relying on the audacity of it all. After all, if Arthur couldn't believe anyone would do this, then surely no one at the prison would have considered someone would either. It wasn't like many people were flying these days, despite Arturo's insistence that one day everyone would be flying everywhere. "He's quite the character. I think you'll like him!"

Arthur just shook his head, but he was smiling as he did so. He might not be completely convinced by Sadie's plan, but it seemed like he was won over by her confidence at least.

"You know, I'm impressed. You've really stepped things up, ain't you?" He asked her. Sadie just nodded.

"Hey, we didn't even know if you was comin' back." He pointed out. She didn't want to admit that as time went on, she had all but written off hope herself that they were. She was starting to think about what she could do to keep going without them. 'Kid Van Der Linde' was doing the best he could to keep things ticking over, but she was also starting to wonder about the future, about what they would need to move beyond just surviving and get to actually living again. Lakay might have been better than it was when they arrived, but it was also still a shithole that she would be only too glad to never see again. "Whole thing hit folks real hard. You can see it. Molly's gone, no idea where, Karen's gone and fallen fully into the bottle. Strauss is a bag of nerves, Swanson…well, Swanson's actually gone and cleaned up his act. So, I guess it ain't all gone to shit."

She took a deep breath. It had taken its toll on her leading the gang. She had quickly found out that it wasn't as simple as many believed it was. Maybe there was a reason Dutch sometimes said and did questionable things. She'd only done it for a couple of months and she was close to losing her mind a couple of times. Maybe…maybe she was judging Dutch a bit harshly?

"I'm just glad you boys found us." She told him honestly. "Javier said he got the letter we left at the post office."

"That was a good idea." Arthur complimented her.

"Until the Pinkertons showed up." Sadie grumbled. That wasn't really her fault though. For weeks they'd hidden in Lakay with no one in any danger of finding them, and Bill had managed to blow that on his first day back. "Oh, by the way, I've been hunting O'Driscoll boys. Killed two of the sons of bitches at a campsite a while back."

"What?" Arthur asked. They'd obviously seen O'Driscolls out this far before, but it wasn't their usual stomping grounds for sure.

"Yeah, it seems they've drifted down here now." Sadie answered. "Seems like any parlay they had with Milton must have turned sour."

"You're a busy woman Sadie Adler." Arthur commented as they finally came to the field, finding that Arturo had set up the balloon just as they'd agreed. He was scurrying about, checking over his beloved balloon. It was quite something to see, Sadie had never actually seen a balloon up close and had no idea it would be so big. She didn't really know what he was checking, it didn't seem so complicated, a balloon for lift and a basket to carry people. Still, since he was going to be taking Arthur hundreds, possibly thousands of feet in the air, she figured she'd bow to his greater expertise on the issue.

"She's a beauty, ain't she?" Sadie asked Arthur. He just coughed a little.

"From here on the ground, yes." He said gruffly as they dismounted.

"Mr Bullard!" Sadie called out, trying to get his attention. He looked around, and Sadie couldn't help glancing over to Arthur to see his reaction to the bizarre little man. His face told a story alright as Arthur bounded over enthusiastically in his brightly coloured clothing and leather cap and goggles.

"Ah, Mrs Adler, it's good to see you!" He greeted her, taking her hand and kissing it. Sadie just chuckled a little and looked to Arthur.

"This is my friend I told you about, Mr Morgan." She said, introducing him to Arthur. Arturo scurried across, enthusiastically shaking his hand.

"Ah, yes, Arturo Bullard at your service sir!" He said, bowing low. Arthur just glared at Sadie, wordlessly asking her what the hell she had gotten him into. Sadie could only struggle to stop from laughing.

"Arthur Morgan." Arthur responded.

"Well, it's a nice fresh day for flying sir." Arturo assured him cheerfully. "A day like today and Icarus himself could have made it across the sea."

This didn't seem to ease Arthurs worries at all. But then, Sadie understood why. Jake had once told her the story of Icarus…his flight didn't end well.

"You ever flown before sir?" Arturo asked Arthur.

"No." Arthur replied as he continued to stare at the balloon, trying to figure out how in the world this was going to safely get him anywhere.

"Oh, it's quite a thing. Quite a thing!" Arturo said excitedly, setting his goggles. He got a set out of the basket. "Now, put these on and hop in!"

"Well, ain't she coming?" Arthur asked as he slung the goggles over his shoulder.

"Oh, women can't fly sir, are you insane?" Arturo asked him.

"They can't?" Arthur asked, seeming to finally realise why Sadie had dragged him along. Sadie had no doubt from the glare Arthur gave her he'd make her pay at some point, but right now, this was all just too entertaining for her to think it wasn't well worth it.

"Oh no sir, it does terrible damage to them!" Arturo said matter-of-factly. "To their…to their vapours! I thought everyone knew about that! Why, a delicate flower like Mrs Adler, heavens above!"

Sadie just spit on the ground and the glance shared between her and Arthur was enough for him to know this was exactly why he was here. If Arturo would have taken her, she'd already have done this scouting mission herself. Both of them were struggling not to laugh at the eccentric old pilot's description of her as a 'delicate flower'.

"Where'd you find this guy?" Arthur asked Sadie.

"I told you that you two would get on." Sadie chuckled. She decided that now was not the best time to tell Arthur she'd found him all but passed out drunk in Doyle's.

"Are you sure about this?" Arthur asked, gripping onto the sides of the basket tightly.

"Certain sir, quite certain!" Arturo responded. "Missus, we'll meet you in Annesburg! Let us away! Wish us luck!"

He turned to Arthur and clapped him on the shoulders.

"I've only crashed twice!" He assured him as he started tossing sandbags out of the basket. "Now, pull on that rope and hope for the best!"

Sadie watched them rise into the air, keeping an eye on them as they started to rise higher and higher. She smiled as she saw them drifting away, before mounting up her horse, and turning towards the path. Spurring on her horse, she sped along the path north. Annesburg was quite a ride away, and she wanted to be there when they got back. Hopefully by the time they did, they would have good news about John.


	33. A Lot Can Happen In An Hour

Sadie rode hard to get to Annesburg in good time. She didn't really know when Arthur and Arturo would return from their trip, but Bullard had assured her they would meet her in Annesburg and so here she was, ready for them to return with news.

She had never been to Annesburg before, and although she had heard stories, nothing prepared her for when she arrived. What could anyone say about Annesburg?

Annesburg was not just a mining town, it was a company town. The place was quite literally built entirely around the coal mine, with everything there being built and owned by the company. Mines were very often a long way from civilisation, and in order to get workers into the area and keep them close to the operation often the solution was for the mining company themselves to build somewhere for workers and their families to live. If what she was seeing could be called living. Looking around at the homes, if they could be called that, Sadie couldn't help thinking that the shacks built on multiple levels up and down the hills were smaller than the barn she and Jake had built for their horses. Hell, they were smaller than many people's sheds, yet entire families would live in them. Simple wooden affairs with little in the way of protection from the elements other than the hillside they were built into.

Saying that mining was a filthy business seemed like a rather obvious thing to say. After all it was literally digging in the ground; however it went well beyond that. As the mines were dug out, more and more waste came out of the mine. The town itself was almost completely devoid of life. Most of the trees had been cleared out long ago to make way for the housing, the mine, the couple of small businesses that existed in the area and the processing plant which dominated the entire northern end of the town. Quite possibly the largest single building Sadie could ever recall seeing, it seemed to take up almost half the town all by itself.

Machines ran there, with an ominous rumbling, not so much loud, though Sadie could imagine it must be deafening inside the building, but it seemed to rumble at a kind of strange level that it could be felt reverberating in the chest, almost like it was deep within the gut.

The chimneys spewed out thick clouds of black smoke all day and all night that seemed to filter out into the air, making the whole town seem almost permanently grey and dull. The very air felt dirty, hot, thick. Within moments of arriving she noticed that it felt like everything just felt like it was covered in a fine, gritty layer of grime that just seemed to be everywhere, even in the air itself.

The "street" such as it was, if anything was worse than the swamp, with run-off fluids that Sadie wasn't even sure was only water saturating the ground, which explained why wooden walkways had been built alongside the streets. The only thing solid other than that were rail tracks which ran right through the middle of town for freight, with passenger trains going along the water front...not that many people had any real reason for wanting to come to Annesburg.

Even the water did not escape the filth. The water in the river nearby had a shiny, oily sheen to it, which hung on the surface, reflecting with an unnatural riot of rainbow colours depending on how the water moved that was both strangely unnaturally beautiful and yet sickening at the same time. Sadie didn't even want to touch the water to find out what it was like.

The thing that stuck with her the most was the smell. The air was thick, and felt grimy, oily and unhealthy from the moment it was inhaled. Even at his worst, when he was three sheets to the wind and smoking cigars along with Arthur, John and Hosea in one of the small rooms in Shady Belle Sadie couldn't imagine an environment that turned her stomach more than this. She was quickly finding herself with a splitting headache and every natural instinct in her body was telling her to leave and never come back. The people of Annesburg seemed to have gotten used to it, but quite how Sadie had no idea. If this was progress, if this was what the future held...Sadie was more than happy to allow herself to believe in Dutch's vision of mangoes and bananas in Tahiti. It was tough to tell if she'd describe Annesburg more as a shit-hole or as the gate of Hell, but either way, she had no intention of being here longer than she needed to be.

"Say, mister, are there any stables nearby?" Sadie asked a random passer-by. He just looked at her like she was stupid.

"There ain't no stables near here." He informed her, gesturing around. "Ain't no one around here owns a horse; everyone lives here or takes the train. Ain't no need for horses."

He had a point; it wasn't as though anyone in Annesburg had much use for a horse. She was just hoping to find somewhere to store the horses to get them out of the street, maybe somewhere the filth wasn't hanging in the air quite so badly, but it didn't look like that was an option. She pointed up the street.

"What about them?" She asked, pointing to some horses. The guy just shrugged.

"They only showed up this morning." He replied. "Asides from you, those are the first horses rode in here in about a month."

"Thanks mister." She responded dejectedly, realising she wasn't getting anywhere with this conversation. She hopped off her horse and led her and Arthur's mare somewhere she could hitch them up where at very least they wouldn't be on the street. She whispered an apology to her, assuring her that she wouldn't be long. She headed out into the street and had to look around, trying to think of somewhere to go and something to do. For all she knew it could be hours before they were back. She stopped a random citizen.

"Say, is there a saloon here?" She asked. The woman gave her a strange look.

"Saloon?" She asked. "There's no saloon here."

"No saloon?" Sadie asked.

"This here's a company town!" She told her, before walking away. Sadie rolled her eyes.

"This is the future?" She grumbled. She found her eyes coming to rest on a gunsmith and shrugged her shoulders. It might only kill a small amount of time, but unless she felt like picking up a shovel it didn't look like there was much else to do around here.

She headed into the gunsmith and headed straight up to the counter.

"A new face, seems we have a lot of them lately." He commented. "What can I do you for today ma'am?"

"Just a cleaning." She said, taking out her revolvers and putting them up on the counter. "Maybe I'll browse around the stock a little."

"The catalogue is right there." He told her, pointing to it as he started to inspect her weapons. "If you don't mind me saying, these are some of the finest maintained irons I've seen around here in a long while. You sure they need cleaned?"

"You tryin' to talk yourself out of business mister?" She asked as she checked out some ammunition.

"Normally no, but these are really nice looking weapons." He told her. She showed him the scars on her hand.

"I learned the hard way what happens when you don't clean 'em regular." She informed him. "I try to clean 'em any time I stop somewhere."

"Well, never let it be said I don't appreciate someone taking good care of their weapons." He responded as he started to get to work. Sadie was trying to think of how may rounds she already had to figure out if it was worth getting more. She did eventually decide to get a couple of boxes. There was never any such thing as having too many bullets. She noticed a sign on the desk.

"No vacancies?" She asked.

"I normally rent out rooms. Not enough passing business for a hotel so I sometimes rent out to passing travellers." He told her. "A party came in just the other day, been booked out since."

"They the ones with the horses?" Sadie asked him. He just nodded.

"Got to be said, we don't normally get a lot of visitors. Didn't much like the look of 'em either but it ain't like I can afford to be too picky."

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

Before he answered, the back door of the shop opened and some men clattered in, making a fair amount of commotion. She took a quick glance around the corner, seeing them coming in.

"God damn it, how did we manage to get sent to the one town out here that ain't got no liquor?" One of them asked. "At least in Strawberry the General Store sells bottles."

"Hey, it could be worse." One of the others said as they headed up the stairs. "We might have to travel some to get some whiskey, but Colm's in a cell right now."

This piqued Sadie's interest. Colm? Were they talking about Colm O'Driscoll?

She glanced quickly at the owner of the gun store, seeing that he was busy with her weapons, before heading up the stairs after them. By now they'd gotten to the room and had closed the door behind them. Sadie crouched down near the door to listen in.

"You got that whiskey?" One of them asked. "And the beef?"

"Yeah, I got it!" He replied. "God damn it, why don't you do your own damn shopping?"

"Because I'm the one that was told to organise you idiots for this train robbery!" The other responded. "You think I want to be in this shit hole? Of course not! But after the Van Der Lindes snatched that train job from us a couple of weeks back we need a score."

This confirmed Sadie's suspicions. These men were O'Driscolls. She had managed to snatch a train full of weapons from them right after they had gotten involved in a fire-fight with the army. The whole thing had been rather messy, but the way she saw it if they were dumb enough to take on a literal army then she certainly wasn't going to be above swooping in to pick off what was left after both sides had finished slaughtering each other. To this day everyone still believed it was the O'Driscolls, which meant that not only did they have the Pinkertons after them, but the army too. If they had Colm, it sounded like the odds finally caught up with him.

"We should be concentratin' on gettin' Colm out!" One of them protested. "He's gonna swing if we don't!"

"They've said that twice before and there's still no rope broken his neck." The first one reminded them. "Besides, we need to keep things running. Colm ain't gonna be happy if we spring him loose only to find out we ain't got no money for him to come back to!"

That made sense. The one thing Colm would need, almost more than they did right now, if not more so. Virtually everyone that lived in Annesburg was a miner or living with a miner and miners needed to be paid. That meant cash, lots of cash coming in to pay the miner's wages. Hitting even one of those trains would be a considerable pay-off. It almost made Sadie wish she'd thought of it first.

"Look, he's gonna be hanged in Saint Denis, all we have to do is..."

"Now, what do we have here?" Sadie heard a voice ask. She just gulped and turned around. There was an O'Driscoll standing behind her. She'd been so intent on listening in to find out what happened to Colm and to find out if Tom was there that she hadn't noticed another O'Driscoll coming up behind her. He was a hulking brute of a man, far too large for her to squeeze around, and trying to run through him would be about as fruitful as trying to run through a brick wall. He had to have at least a good hundred and fifty pounds on her. She went for her holster, only for her heart to sink as she realised it was empty. The guy smiled down at her through rotting teeth as she realised she had left her guns with the gunsmith.

"Aw shit." She groaned, before the hulking brute grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her, throwing her through the door and into the room where she sprawled across the floor. He closed the door behind him as the O'Driscolls all started to surround her.

They were whooping and whistling at the prospect of having a woman among them. Sadie had experienced that before, and she was determined it wasn't happening again. If they were going to get anything from her they'd have to get it when she was cold and stiff. She took a look around, preparing for what was to come. The odds weren't on her favour, but if he was there, if Tom was there, then if she went for him first, maybe it'd all be worth it. No such luck though. It felt like every low-life they could find was here, but not Tom.

"You lookin' for us little lady?" The big one asked.

"Just one of you actually." She said, figuring that there was really no point in trying to lie. "Fat feller with a beard, named Tom."

"Well, whatever you want from Tom, maybe I can..."

"What I want from Tom, none of you can give me!" She interrupted them sharply. "I want him six feet under!"

"Now, that's not exactly a smart thing to say little lady." The big one told her, beginning to advance on her. "You see, all of us are good friends of Tom's. We take it mighty personally when someone wants to hurt our friends."

"I can't help it if you have really bad taste in friends." Sadie said as she started to look around for ideas, weapons. All of them were armed; she could maybe get a weapon from one of them, but not before one of them shot her. The big one was between her and the door, that was no good. Behind her there was a window, but could she get out before they got a hold of her?

As one of them grabbed her, she looked to his hand.

"Get your damn hands off me!" She warned him.

"What'll you do if I don't?" He asked her in response, before pulling her in. As they all laughed, she just got flashes to the night Tom came to her cabin, the hands all over her, grabbing...she didn't really know what happened next as her body just seemed to take over, lashing out in all directions, clawing, biting, punching, kicking, anything at all that would cause pain as she went into a full-blown panic. One of her kicks landed a lucky blow, causing one of them to stagger into a lantern, which broke, soaking him in burning paraffin. He started to scream and run around, flailing, getting their attention.

Sadie was thrown to the floor, bloodied and bruised, but momentarily forgotten as the O'Driscolls started trying to put out their friend. She saw her salvation in the form of a pump-action shotgun a little way from her. She crawled over, snatching it up and turning over. By the time anyone realised that she was still there, the shotgun roared into life. She emptied it into them, taking absolutely no chances. At such short range, there wasn't a whole lot left of them by the time she was finished. She threw the shotgun aside and scrambled to her feet, running down the stairs, where another was coming in, clearly drawn by the gunfire. She kicked him in the face, stumbling down the last few stairs as she went, before scrambling back to her feet and running to the front of the store.

"What the hell?" The gunsmith asked as Sadie stopped by the desk only just long enough to snatch up her revolvers and slam down the money. She could already see more outside about to come in and in a desperate move; she threw herself straight through the window on top of them, knocking them to the ground.

She rolled up to her feet, breathless, starting to load her pistols, before a shot rang out. She looked up the street and saw more coming.

"How many of you sons of bitches are there?" She screamed in exasperation, before taking off running. There was no way in hell she was going to win a straight up gunfight here, not like this. There was no cover, they had the numbers advantage, hell, their guns were actually loaded! She took to running, fumbling with bullets to put them into her revolvers as she went, getting back to the horses. She unhitched them, and sent Arthur's running away, one less thing to worry about. She hopped on her own horse and spurred it on, fleeing as fast as she could. She rode straight over a couple of the bastards on the way out of town.

Bullets whizzed past her as she concentrated on riding. She couldn't even afford to take her attention off the road to fire back, instead only being able to fire random shots over her shoulder and hope they at least made someone get their head down. There were way too many to have all been holed up in that room in town, they must have set up a camp nearby.

She was riding for all she was worth, but she could see some coming from a side path towards her. Just then, one of them fell as a rifle shot rang out. Sadie looked up and to her relief, she could see Bullard's balloon. Arthur was leaning over the side with his rifle, lining up shots.

She put her revolvers away and concentrated once more on the path ahead. At least, she did for as long as there was a path. The woods looked decidedly treacherous so she turned onto the railway tracks and started to ride down there instead.

"Grab the rope!" She heard Arthur yelling. She allowed herself a quick glance over her shoulder. There was a rope hanging down from the basket, and the balloon was coming down. She looked back up ahead.

There was a bridge up ahead, even if he was close enough for her to grab the rope, she'd never clear the bridge in time. She spurred her horse on quickly to get to the other side, by which time the rope was hanging near her. She shifted position, standing on the saddle, before jumping off, grabbing onto the rope.

By now, she was exhausted, she tried to pull herself up, but between the fight in the gunsmith and the ride, her arms just wouldn't pull her up. She felt the rope starting to move and looked up to see Arthur hauling on the rope. He grabbed her, hauling her into the basket, where she fell to the floor rather unceremoniously. She looked up to see Arthur pulling on the ropes, trying to get the balloon to go up, but she didn't need to see over the side to know they were still going down. She could feel it. She got back to her feet and stood next to him.

"I think we're gonna crash." Arthur said. Sadie just sighed.

"You have a real habit of stating the obvious, Arthur." She responded.

"Hold on!" He yelled as they both grabbed on, bracing for all they were worth. They were fortunate enough that the basket touched down initially in a river, and had enough momentum that it seemed to kind of skip along rather than just hit and stop, but they didn't slow down nearly enough so when they hit the opposite bank, both of them were thrown from the basket several feet into the mud.

"Did you break your neck?" She asked. She did wish she could have thought of something more sympathetic to say. Arthur had just rescued her, but she didn't want to take the chances that the O'Driscolls had been able to see the balloon coming down. She had to assume they were still on their tail.

"I don't think so." Arthur grumbled. "Maybe."

Now it was Sadie's turn to help Arthur. She was on her feet first, and it seemed only fair. He seemed to be a little shaky getting to his feet. He started to cough, and looked a little shaky on his feet, not that she could blame him. She wasn't exactly ready to climb a mountain herself right now. She looked across the river and confirmed her fear, they were still coming! Then again a brightly coloured balloon of that size...even they couldn't exactly miss it!

"Damn it, there's more on the other side!" Sadie told him.

"They must have followed us." Arthur surmised, getting out his revolvers. "Get behind something! This ain't over yet!"

The fighting was fierce as the O'Driscolls rode down on them. They weren't about to give up yet, not after all this. The river did slow them down, which gave them opportunity to pick them off before they got to them. By the time they picked off the last one, gunshots rang out from the other side. More of them had to have found another way around and tried to come up on them from behind.

"These God Damn O'Driscolls!" Arthur growled. "Can't you leave it just one day?"

Sadie knew that was directed at her. He had been vocal about her hatred of them in the past, and although he wasn't there when the fight started, it didn't seem like he needed much to come to the conclusion she had started the fight. She wasn't in the mood to answer though as she turned her attention to the ones coming from behind them.

"Send every son of a bitch you got!" She screamed at them. "At least you know Colm'll have some friends waitin' on him!"

Eventually the tide started to turn. Much like before, it seemed like the need for men had caused the O'Driscolls to recruit anyone that would pick up a gun. They all started to run off. Sadie was of a mind to chase after them, but by now she was far too exhausted to go anywhere, much less run after them.

"Look at them cowards! You better run!" Sadie yelled. "I'll hunt the rest of you down soon enough! Looks like we made it...that'll show 'em."

Arthur though looked a lot less than amused. He looked exhausted, he looked pained, he looked unsteady, but most of all, he looked enraged.

"The hell is wrong with you?" He asked her in a low, considered, but no less enraged tone than she had ever heard from him. "I only left you an hour ago. You can't stay out of trouble for one God damned hour?"

Sadie didn't know how to answer that. She already knew it was a dumb move to fight the O'Driscolls alone. Hell, as soon as she knew the O'Driscolls were there, she should have probably just left town, but no, she just couldn't leave it alone! It was just like her.

"You got that poor bastard killed for his troubles!" He roared at her. "I kind of liked him!"

That...that one caught her. It had never occurred to her before now that Bullard wasn't in the balloon. Sure there was a lot going on, but...she really hadn't thought about it until now? She just hadn't noticed that he wasn't there? It suddenly hit her that she had brought him into all this unwittingly. The other members of the gang all knew the risks, they all joined knowing exactly what they were doing, she'd lied to Bullard. As far as he was aware he was just taking Arthur up for a lesson, some sightseeing perhaps, it wasn't as though he knew that he would be taken into the middle of a hail of bullets. He was dead because of her.

"They got Colm." She blurted out, trying to justify what had happened. Whether it was to Arthur she had no idea. Right now, it felt like she was trying to justify to herself whether or not a bumbling, ridiculous but otherwise harmless old man losing his life was worth what she had heard. She still didn't know the answer to that. "The Government, they got Colm O'Driscoll. They're gonna hang him in Saint Denis."

"Hang him?" Arthur scoffed. He had every right to be sceptical. Just one of the urban legends of Colm O'Driscoll was that he had been sent to the gallows twice already and escaped twice. Arthur, it seemed, had little faith that he would actually swing. "Okay."

"He's already been tried for murder, twice, and sentenced!" She protested.

"Sure, and no doubt he'll escape again." Arthur replied bad-temperedly.

"No, he won't! Cause we're gonna make sure of it!" She responded spitefully. Hearing Colm was in custody was the closest she'd come to her goal of avenging what happened to her, what happened to Jake as she'd ever come. She was damned if she was going to let Colm ride away laughing at yet another dead hangman. She didn't care if she had to hang him herself. Arthur just stared at her wide-eyed.

"I...We have our own problems with the law in case you hadn't noticed!" He stammered, trying to reason with her. Sadie's thoughts were torn in two. She could see sense in what Arthur was saying, but so much of her was just obsessed with the fact they were closer now to seeing Colm's end than they ever had been.

"Dutch'll want to see him swing." She said as the thought came to her. She could talk to Dutch. If there was anyone that hated Colm more than her, it was Dutch. It would only take the mere mention of Colm to convince him to help.

"Dutch? Sure, he won't even help us with Marston!" Arthur tried to reason with her. "And our situation is really messed up right now. You know how things are."

"The bastard's gonna swing." Sadie said coldly. "I'm gonna make sure of it."

"Followed closely by Marston!" Arthur snapped. Sadie was just too weary to argue the point about Colm any longer, but Arthur had reminded her what all of this had been about in the first place. They were trying to help John. All of this was to find out if he was still in Sisika. She took a deep breath.

"You saw him?" She asked him.

"Yes." He replied wearily. "In the fields."

"OK." She replied, trying to think. If there was a way to get John back, maybe this whole mess would finally be worth it. "Then we'll go rescue him."

"From a State Penitentiary?" Arthur asked her.

"No." She said, trying to wrack her brain as he said this. How would they turn him loose? Now they knew he was in Sisika all that meant was they had to actually GO there. Now the enormity of the task of breaking into one of the country's most secure prisons was a reality. Unless...unless they didn't have to! The chain gangs! The prisoners in Sisika worked in the fields! Arthur had already said he saw John in the fields; clearly he had farming duties there! "But from the fields, yes. That, we can manage."

"It's heavily guarded." Arthur reminded her.

"Guarded, sure, but not behind bars." Sadie answered. She still didn't have all the details but if they managed to get to him while he was out in the fields, then they could get him to the shore without having to go near the prison. They'd need a boat to get out of there, but they'd need one to get there anyway so it stood to reason they could use the same boat.

"No, he's not behind bars." Arthur confirmed.

"So, that's how we'll do it. We'll bust him from his work detail." Sadie said with a lot more confidence than she actually had. She still wasn't sure how they would get a boat. She whistled for their horses, hoping they hadn't run off too far.

"I guess." Arthur sighed; sounding more like he'd been defeated than actually convinced this plan would work.

"It's best just the two of us go." Sadie declared.

"The two of us is all there is anyhow!" Arthur said in a kind of half spluttering, coughing laugh. He covered his mouth with his sleeve. As he pulled it away, Sadie caught sight of blood...she couldn't quite think if it was there before.

"Good. Because two is all we'll need." She replied as their horses arrived. "I'll get us a boat. A little one. We'll sneak in and get him outta there. Meet me at Copperhead Landing."

She mounted her horse and stopped, giving him a little smile.

"Thank you Arthur." She said sweetly. He just shook his head.

"Whatever you say, Boss." He joked.

"I heard that!" She called out as she rode away. She still didn't know exactly how she'd get a boat, probably steal one from one of the local fishermen, but after that, they still needed to row across a river, all the way to an island, and free one of the most infamous outlaws in the State from heavily armed guards on an island prison.

It all sounded insane when she reasoned it out like that, but she had to push all those voices of doubt to the back of her mind for now. She had promised to get John out, and she had promised herself that she would see Colm hang, and if there was one thing Sadie hated more than an O'Driscoll, it was breaking a promise.


	34. The Lady of the Manor

Sadie now had a plan, or at least the starts of one. Now that she and Arthur knew that John was on Sisika and that he was on work detail in the fields, it meant that the prospect of going to Sisika had just gone from an outright suicide mission to just one with an extremely high likelihood of all three of them being hung or shot. If they could reach him while he was out in the field, they could potentially get him to a boat before anyone got word to the fort that he had been sprung from his chain gang and be well on their way to Saint Denis before the veritable army of guards fired their opening volley.

It was still a plan with one issue though, they still needed a boat. Arthur had bought a boat for the camp back when they had camped out near Clemens Cove but they'd had to abandon that when they left Shady Belle in a hurry and she had no real desire to go back there. Between the fact that for a while the Pinkertons had periodically gone there to look for signs of the gang returning and rumours that now they had left the Lemoyne Raiders had taken it back as a stronghold it sounded like it was for the best to write off the boat as a loss. It did mean that she had to find another way to get a boat though.

She'd considered going to Lagras and chartering Thomas' skiff again, but she had already made up her mind this mission would be just her and Arthur. It wasn't like the assault on Bronte's place, there'd be no night-time assault on Sisika, people didn't work the fields at night. They were locked up in the prison at night and only put out in the fields during the day. Sneaking into a heavily guarded prison in broad daylight would be much easier with a small party. She also wasn't sure he would rent them his boat without him and after Bullard, bringing along another unwitting passenger seemed like a really bad idea.

That left her with the options of either buying a boat or stealing one. She wasn't up to Hosea's level when it came to forming a plan, but she could almost hear him saying to her that a boat going missing and a prison island being broken into close together was a coincidence, but a woman buying a boat and then a prison island being broken into seemed more like a connection. She had been lucky so far with the "Kid Van Der Linde" identity holding up. It meant that she could still walk freely. Buying a boat as Sadie Adler would mean an end to Kid Van Der Linde and she wasn't quite sure she was ready to give that up yet, which meant the choice had now been limited to stealing one. Now the only issue was where from.

She'd considered Lagras, but they had friends there. Between Thomas and the bait shop the fishermen in the camp frequented, she didn't want to anger them. The people of Lagras were hard-working, generous and had done them a lot of favours in the past so she didn't want to repay that with theft. Everyone there either directly or indirectly made their living through fishing so boats were almost more valuable to them than their houses. It would be a big blow to someone to lose one not to mention they'd be more than willing to defend their livelihoods to the death and given the number of gators in the area there were a startling number of guns in Lagras. There were a lot of fishermen around Rhodes but the further she went to get the boat the further she had to bring it to her hiding spot at Copperhead Landing. That left her with Saint Denis.

Heading to the docks to do a bit of scouting, she stood on the pier, resting her elbows on the guard rail and looking out over the water, taking notes. There were certainly plenty of boats around there. They were mostly large passenger ships or trade ships, which were far too large for her purposes, likely only to attract attention. She'd never given much thought to how many types of boats there were before, to her a boat was a boat, but there were a lot of options she hadn't even thought about.

There were smaller sailing ships; a lot of people seemed to have them, mostly for fishing or leisure purposes. They were certainly fast, she couldn't doubt that, but she also couldn't help noticing they were also incredibly tall. She could see sails without the need for binoculars from maybe a mile or more away. If she could see them coming that far out, the guards at Sisika certainly would. They also looked incredibly difficult to operate. She'd never sailed before and learning now was time that John might not have.

She saw a few people with canoes. Canoes were mostly something natives used, and a few people around Lagras, but there were one or two people that brought them this far out. They were small, but that created the problem that they needed something that would carry three people. No, she could rule those out too.

She was a little surprised to find out there was such a thing as a motorised boat. While putting engines on boats tended to be reserved for large ships, she'd seen one or two with smaller versions zipping around. They were fast, which would be great for the get-away, but they were also quite noisy. As much as it increased the difficulty and effort, it looked like her best option was a row boat.

There were certainly plenty of them around, but she needed to find a way to get one without anyone noticing until it was gone. The docks at Saint Denis were incredibly busy, there was always someone around. Stealing anything from there was going to be a challenge. She was chewing the end of her pen, trying to figure out how to get a hold of a boat without the owner nearby when she heard a voice.

"Sadie Adler!" He boomed cheerfully. She rolled her eyes and turned around to see Uncle hobbling over to see him. Uncle was a character alright, he had been with the Van Der Linde gang almost as long as Arthur and John. He wasn't really a fighter, he wasn't a con-man like Hosea...he wasn't really much of anything really. He was just kind of...there. Every family had someone like him, that person that just seemed to lounge about, eat the food, drink the booze, something he was VERY good at, and complain about everything while never really being seen to do much of anything to help. Everyone commented on the fact Uncle was either never to be found when there was work to be done and when he was he was either eating, drinking or lounging around doing nothing, complaining of 'Lumbago' whenever anyone asked him to do anything. Everyone complained about how much of a lazy shit he was, but he had an endearing nature about him and a strange talent for somehow bringing in just enough to justify his keep that no one could bring themselves to kick him out. It was a mystery what he actually did to get his contributions, but he did add to the tithing box. Sadie had, if she was frank, forgotten all about him. She couldn't even remember if he was in Lakay never mind seeing him doing anything while he was there. She just sighed.

"Uncle." She groaned as he came bounding over cheerfully. He had his arms open for a hug, but Sadie planted a hand on his chest to keep him at arm's length, before looking to him. True to form, he had a bottle of rum in his hand. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I've been workin'." He told her. "I figured it was best to get out of the way. Dutch sent Arthur and Charles up north some place. Some God-Damned shit hole called Beaver Hollow. He told 'em to clear out the locals while the rest move the camp."

"Beaver Hollow huh?" Sadie asked. She made a mental note of that. She knew they were moving the camp, but she hadn't been sure where. She'd need to find her way there once she was done. "Know anything about it?"

"Not really." Uncle replied, taking a swig. "I just came to do some work while they moved."

"Oh yeah, you look real busy." Sadie said sarcastically. "Well, if you ain't too busy you mind givin' me a hand here?"

"What's the score?" He asked. She pointed out to the water.

"I need a row boat." She told him. Uncle just looked to her strangely.

"You touched in the head or something?" He asked her. "You want a boat? What the hell for? There's money and drink, and food and drink and guns and drink..."

"I want a God-Damned boat, are you gonna help me or not?" She snapped. Uncle just backed off a little.

"OK, OK, keep your hair on!" He protested. "And people wonder why I never married."

"Oh yeah, that's a total mystery." Sadie muttered under her breath, looking up and down his stained clothing and beard with pieces of a few previous meals and some errant drink in it. She turned her attention back out to the harbour. "So, what do you think?"

"I think you should steal something more valuable than a boat." He told her. She rolled her eyes.

"I mean other than that you old coot!" She responded. He leaned on the railing, taking another drink as he stroked his beard, thinking about it.

"I think a distraction is what you need." He said sagely. Sadie just nodded. For all his faults, Uncle did have a certain track record of success. He certainly wasn't Hosea but he did have a way of walking away from an encounter with people with more money than he had when he started. Whether people paid him money to go away and leave them alone or he annoyed them so much they didn't notice while he was robbing them blind was anyone's guess, but it did have its uses. His bumbling idiot image, she suspected at least, was more of a facade than anything else. He was never going to be accused of being brilliant, but he was definitely a lot smarter and more devious than people gave him credit for.

"I was thinkin' the same thing." Sadie agreed. "There're a lot of people here, it'll need to be somethin' big. Somethin' that'll get a lot of attention."

"I got you right here." He said, pulling out a stick of dynamite. Sadie snatched it off him, shoving it back into his pants.

"You crazy old coot, I want to get attention, not raise hell!" She yelled at him. "We need somethin' dramatic, but not somethin' that'll bring down the damn army."

Just then, they were both distracted as they heard some loud, drunken singing. It wasn't unusual to hear that around the docks, but it was a very distinctive voice, one with a strong Irish accent. A woman's voice. They both turned to see a woman in some surprisingly fine clothing, but that looked a little worn, ruffled and dirty, staggering around in the street.

Sadie hadn't seen or heard from Molly since Shady Belle. When the gang was getting ready to move camp, she'd resented Sadie taking control and wanted to wait on Dutch coming back. When the gang sided with Sadie, she'd taken some money from the tithing box and taken her chances on her own. None of them had thought much about where she had gone or what she was doing since then. It look like Molly's gamble that she would fare better on her own than with what was left of the gang when most of the strongest guns had seemingly gone down in the disastrous Saint Denis bank robbery had not panned out.

"Molly?" Uncle asked.

"Yeah, it looks like it." Sadie replied. "I'd have thought she'd have found another meal-ticket by now."

"We should get out of here." Uncle suggested. "Before she attracts too much attention to us."

"No, wait...for once Molly might be useful for somethin'." Sadie suggested as a plan started forming in her head. Sadie hadn't thought much of Molly from the beginning. The first time she'd met her, Molly was commenting on how 'messed up' her face was after the O'Driscolls attacked her home. It had left something of a bitter taste in Sadie's mouth from day one that coloured her view of the woman. She was a sneak thief and con-artist in her own right, but most of the time she seemed to hang around Dutch, lording it over all the other women in the camp and acting as lady of the manor. Without Dutch's power to latch onto for her privileged position, it looked like she'd lost her way a little. Of course, she was still an attractive woman, and a drunken attractive woman wandering around on the street making a racket attracted a hell of a lot of attention. Most of the men in the harbour were now looking her way as she yelled at, cursed at and threatened anyone that came close to her. She got a smile on her face. "Go to her."

"What?" Uncle asked.

"Go get her, take her home." Sadie told him.

"Take her...what makes you think she wants to go back?" Uncle asked her.

"Once she realises Dutch is back, she'll want to go back." Sadie assured him. "Besides, look, everyone's lookin' at her!"

"That they are!" He said with a smile as he realised where her thoughts were going. She went to a ladder down towards the jetty.

"Go get her, take her to Beaver Hollow." Sadie told him. "And...make it a good show!"

"Molly!" Uncle yelled as he ran over, waving frantically. "Molly! Where you been, we've been looking all over for you!"

"Get away from me you smelly old drunk!" She growled as she swiped for him, face-planting into the street as she missed him by a good couple of feet. Sadie climbed down the ladder and onto the jetty, just as others heard the commotion and were heading to see the fun. She could tell by the grins and laughs people wanted to see the drama. What it meant was that now they had stopped paying attention to anything else.

Picking out a boat, she untied the rope, getting in quietly and started to row away.

"Come on Molly, we'll get you home where you can sleep it off!" Uncle said to her. "Just get on the horse."

"You better not try anythin' or Dutch'll skin you alive!" She warned him. Sadie saw them riding off as she quietly started to row away. It was a few moments later that she heard another cry go up.

"Wait a minute...that's my damn horse!" Someone yelled. Sadie couldn't help smiling. Good old Uncle, he was a lot smarter than a lot of people gave him credit for.

It took her a good couple of hours to get the boat to Copperhead, where she managed to pull it up onto the shore. The cabin had been abandoned years ago, but just to be on the safe side she used some foliage to hide the boat from view. The last things he needed after going to the trouble of stealing a boat was to have someone steal it from her in return. She found her horse and after a while of searching, she managed to find her way to Beaver Hollow.

She rode into the new camp, up in the mountains by some old caves. She could see the wagons and knew she'd found the place. It was nestled up in the mountains a little way from Annesburg. She didn't know much about the area, she'd not spent much time out here, but she did know that the law didn't come this way much which right now was all anyone cared about. As she tied up her horse, she saw Bill and Javier carrying out what was left of a corpse and got the impression there was a reason why. She saw Charles setting up the scout fire and went over.

"Sadie, you found us." He said with a smile. "I was about to come find you."

"Yeah, it's a little out the way." She replied, feeling a little disturbed by the mutilated corpse she'd seen. "What happened here?"

"Nothing nice." Charles said in his usual casual predilection towards understatement. "This place used to belong to some folks called the Murfree Brood. Arthur and I evicted them."

"Murfree? They're real?" She asked.

"As real as Night Folk." He told her. Sadie just nodded in understanding. It wasn't like Charles to be spooked.

"So...what's this place like?" She asked.

"It's no Clements Cove." He told her. "There's a stream down there for water. There's some game around but the terrain's tough. No law so that's something."

Sadie just nodded in agreement. She looked around, seeing everyone setting up. Although the caves were right there in the mountain, it looked like most of them didn't want to go inside, setting up the tents and wagons outside. Pearson had set up the chuck wagon and was starting to get ready to feed the camp out of the supplies he'd managed to bring from Lakay. Even Dutch didn't seem to want to sleep in the cave, setting up his own tent outside. He was standing with a cigar in his hand, surveying things as they were being set up.

"How's Dutch been?" She asked. She didn't know if he'd heard about Colm yet, but either way she wanted to talk to him about it. She knew that Dutch would want to see him swing just as much as she did, probably more.

"I don't know." Charles answered honestly as Arthur arrived back in the camp and headed over, starting to talk with him. "I don't know much of anything anymore."

"There's a lot of that goin' around." She answered. She started to head over, but she wasn't sure who she wanted to talk to. For one thing, she needed to talk to Arthur and let him know they now had a boat and were ready to go and rescue John. On the other hand, she really wanted to tell Dutch about Colm, her revenge was now so close she could almost taste it, and once he heard about the hanging, there was no doubt that he would move the whole damn continent if he had to in order to see Colm's neck break. Before she could get there though, there was a loud cry.

"So, Dutch! Did you miss me?" Molly roared drunkenly. Sadie was a little surprised she'd beaten them back to Beaver Hollow, but since Molly was now washed up and had changed, it made sense. She wasn't too surprised that Uncle had found somewhere to let her get cleaned up before returning to camp. She hadn't sobered up at all, if anything she was worse now than in Saint Denis. Whether Uncle had given her something in the vain hope of shutting her up or she had drunk more herself was anyone's guess. Just like in Saint Denis, soon everyone was staring at her.

"I found her drunk in Saint Denis." Uncle explained.

"You're back. How jolly, Ms O'Shea." Dutch answered with seemingly little interest. It was no secret that for some time he was paying her less and less attention. No one really knew if it was because he was tiring of her or if the dramas and misfortunes of recent months just took most of his attention, but either way it was becoming more and more obvious to anyone that it was far from paradise between the two.

"It's Molly, you sack of shit!" She slurred as she staggered around.

"You're back." He declared. "Back and drunk."

"Who made you the master?" She demanded. "The Lord God almighty..."

"Molly, calm down." He instructed her.

"I won't be ignored Dutch Van Der Linde!" She yelled. Some chance of that happening, Sadie thought. Right now everyone in the camp was staring at her. Hell, it was a miracle everyone short of Annesburg hadn't heard her given the racket she was making. She stumbled around, pointing at various members of the gang. "I ain't him! I ain't her, or any of your stooges!"

"Calm yourself Miss." Dutch said, trying to defuse the situation as he came towards her with his hands up. The others didn't know whether to intervene and try to calm Molly, or just sit and watch the show.

"You don't owe me nothing. I don't owe you nothing." She said spitefully.

"Okay." Dutch sighed in a defeated manner, looking around at the others as though wishing they would just go away and leave him alone. Right now he appeared to just be sick of the show and wanted to get back to his own thoughts. It was something that Molly picked up on and only seemed to anger her further, being just more proof of the neglect she felt he'd shown her.

"I'll spit in your eye!" She told him. "I did! I told them!"

"I'm sorry?" Dutch asked coldly.

"Yeah, I told 'em and I'd tell 'em again!" Molly ranted, looking satisfied with herself as he now looked straight at her. "Now I've got God's ear!"

Sadie had no idea what she was talking about. It seemed like she was just saying and doing anything to get attention. It seemed to be working.

"You told who what?" Dutch asked her.

"Mr Milton and Mr Ross." She clarified. "About the bank robbery, and I wanted them to kill you!"

The mood shifted in the camp as she said this. One of the strictest and most important rules was loyalty to the gang. No one talked, ever. Many members of the gang had done things that harmed or put the gang in danger and were disciplined as a result. It wasn't uncommon for people to be confined to camp or be given extra duties at the camp or be 'fined', forced to donate more to the tithing box to repay the gang for any transgressions that risked them being found, but outright betraying the gang was one of the few crimes that could expect no leniency. Molly had just admitted to setting the gang up for the Pinkertons, something that put all of them at risk of an appointment with the hangman.

Anger burned within Sadie hearing this from her. The bank robbery had been a disaster that had nearly destroyed them all. Hosea and Lenny were killed, the others it was a miracle they survived. She'd just admitted that all of it was her fault! Sadie unclipped the strap on her holster, putting her hand on the handle of the revolver. Molly was a dead woman walking. The only thing that stopped Sadie drawing was Dutch beating her to it, pulling his revolver on her.

"You did what?" He demanded coldly as he aimed it at her.

"I loved you, you God Damned bastard!" She yelled at him, tears running down her face. "Go on! Shoot me!"

"She's crazy." Arthur said, trying to ease Dutch as he came to his side. Sadie couldn't believe that Arthur was trying to defend her. He was on that job. He was nearly killed because of Molly. Now he was trying to save her? Sadie relaxed her grip on her revolver. Did Arthur know something she didn't? Had he seen something she hadn't? She was now torn, uncertain what to do. "She ain't worth it!"

"You told on me? You betrayed me?" Dutch seethed, seeming not to take Arthur's counsel on this matter. Molly was almost smiling now.

"Oh, you're not so big now are you?" She asked.

"QUIET!" Arthur snapped at her, seeing the imminent danger in the situation. Sadie looked around; she wasn't the only one that had gone for a weapon. Several of the others already had their weapons in their hands, and looked only to be waiting to see if Dutch would execute her himself or order one of them to do it. Charles looked troubled, and walked off to go back to the scout fire. Arthur was still trying to get between Dutch and Molly to plead her case. "Just calm down."

"Arthur..."

"She's a fool." Arthur tried to reason with him. "Get her outta here."

"You know the rules." Dutch said coldly.

"Oh, not so big now are you? Your majesty!" Molly mocked him, almost daring him to shoot. Sadie now started to think she saw what Arthur saw. She seemed like she wanted him to do it, like she wanted him to kill her. She wasn't a threat; she was a pathetic, broken person that wanted to be put out of her misery. She clipped the strap on her holster once more.

"You..."

Dutch didn't finish. A shot rang out and Molly's abdomen was torn open. She was dead before she hit the ground, her body ripped apart by a close-range shotgun blast.

"Damn!" Arthur exclaimed as everyone turned to see the source of the shot. Ms. Grimshaw cocked the shotgun as she shouldered it.

"She knew the rules Arthur." She told him sternly. "What's the matter with you?"

There was a moment of silence in the camp as they all just stared at Molly's corpse. Sadie didn't know how to feel. Only seconds before, she would have been the one to shoot Molly but now, now she didn't know how to feel about it.

"Mr Pearson, Mr Williamson. Get this body outta here and get it burnt." Dutch told them as he walked away.

"Okay." Bill grunted as he and Swanson went to gather her body.

"Now, get back to work!" Dutch yelled. "Quit your lollygagging get back to work!"

Sadie didn't know how long she stood there before she got back to work. It could have been seconds, it could have been hours, she really didn't know, but for some time she was just confused about what she had just seen. It was only when she saw Abigail going to Pearson to ask for some food for Jack that she finally remembered what she had to do and snapped back to reality.

"Abigail, tell Arthur I got us a boat." Sadie told her.

"I'm sorry?" She asked.

"I got us a boat." Sadie informed her. "I'm gonna bring John home."

With that, Sadie headed for her horse and mounted up, riding out for Copperhead Landing.

Back in the present, the barman chapped the bar.

"You want one more?" He asked. "I'd like to go home sometime."

"I reckon this'll do for tonight." Sadie replied, finishing her drink. Levin just stared at her.

"They just shot her?" He asked. "Right there in the camp?"

"Yeah, they did." Sadie replied. "It were somethin' that stuck with me for a long time."

"But you'd killed so many people." Levin said. Sadie just nodded.

"Yeah, a lot of people died. But somethin' were different about this." She told him. "I could tell you where they buried Dave, Jenny, Sean, Kieran, Lenny and Hosea but Molly? I never did find out where they put her. It were like she just...disappeared."

She took a deep breath.

"I thought about that for a lot longer than I thought I would." She told him. "But seein' Abigail, that reminded me what I was doin'. I couldn't help the dead, but I could help those that were still alive, and that was what I was plannin' to do."

She pulled out her pocket watch and checked it, before yawning.

"But, I'll tell you about that on the train tomorrow." She told him, getting up. "We got a long trip tomorrow."


	35. Sisika Bound

Levin had never been much of a morning person. Being a city guy, he had long since grown accustomed to days starting when the sun was actually up as opposed to a couple of hours before the first sunlight. Even then, one of the real luxuries afforded to him by his career choice was a lot more flexibility in his schedule. As a writer, he most certainly had deadlines, but so long as he had his works in by his publication deadlines other than that his publisher didn't care if he wrote his works in a single day or only worked an hour a day. It was just as well because sometimes inspiration came and went, but it did mean that being able to start at a civilised hour, and often not until after midday gave him the luxury of a long lie.

Today though he wasn't sure if he was up before Sadie. They had separate rooms, naturally, but he was up long before dawn. He'd never cleaned up and shaved faster in his life, but he was just so enthralled by what he was hearing from her. He had never for a moment dreamed of the kind of tale he would hear when he pitched the idea to his publisher. His book about Calloway had been something of a nightmare, between the threats, the drunken stupors, the unreliable narration and indeed the fact that half the time he felt like a glorified nurse maid to an over sixty year old child. He spent more of his time trying to piece together the parts of the stories he told that could be verified and made any kind of sense than he did writing and even then if he was honest he ended up fabricating the majority of the book based on the facts that not only was he forced to but most of the people involved in the stories were dead thanks to his "collaborator" who he now knew to be the infamous outlaw Arthur Morgan.

Sadie though was giving him far more than just the tale of one of the most feared and successful bounty hunters in the country, he also had something that he never for a moment dreamed anyone would get, a first-hand account of the Van Der Linde Gang. To say that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity was an understatement of the first order.

Sadie had told him they were catching a train early in the morning, and although she never told him exactly where they were going, she had told him they were leaving early. She'd promised that she would recount more of the tale on the journey, but he was hoping that perhaps they would have a little time to get some more work done before the train arrived.

Once he was cleaned up and dressed, he headed down to the main bar where staff were already preparing for the day ahead.

"If you're looking for your lady friend, she headed across to the General Store, said she was stocking up on supplies." The barman told him. Levin just tipped his hat to him gratefully and left a tip on the counter, before heading out after her.

Rhodes was a town that had seen a lot of troubles. It wasn't as though the area had never been successful, if anything that was one of the problems. Back in the day, the Grays and the Braithwaites had owned and controlled pretty much all the valuable property, businesses and wealth in the area. It was not only one of the big reasons for their feud, not that anyone, least of all they actually knew what started it all, but it did create a massive problem once the whole thing came to a head. Thanks to the intervention of the Van Der Linde Gang, the whole situation had ended in a huge bloodbath with both families all but completely wiped out, with the very few surviving members of each clan losing so much of their property and wealth in the fallout that they had long since migrated to other areas. However, with that, it also meant that a lot of money and businesses had also left the area and fallen into disuse. Even now, years later, the town was only just starting to build itself back up to anything close to what it was before.

He headed across to the General Store where he found Sadie buying up some supplies. While she was there, she was talking to the storekeeper, smiling, laughing and joking with him as he wrapped up her purchases and packed them up for her.

"That's definitely a beauty you have there Mrs Adler." He chuckled, gesturing to her face. Thanks to the encounter in the bathroom at Doyle's in Saint Denis, she had a pretty noticeable black eye. She'd also had a bloody nose, but she'd since established she'd avoided having it broken. "I'd love to say it was the worst I'd seen."

"Oh, we both know it ain't Pear…uh…Peterson!" She said, noticing Levin standing in the doorway. "Hey there, you're up early."

"I just couldn't wait to hear more Mrs Adler." He stated. "Old friend?"

"Yeah, Mr…er…Peterson and I go way back." Sadie said, gesturing to the large, rotund, red-faced man standing behind the counter. He had a friendly manner about him, and greeted the man with a big smile. "Peterson, this is Mr Levin, that writer I were tellin' you about."

"Mr Levin, glad to finally meet you!" Peterson greeted him, shaking his hand. "Mrs Adler here always makes a point of stopping in any time she's in the area. Absolutely loves my salted beef."

"That and the nice little friends and family discount you give me." Sadie replied with a little laugh. "So, you about ready to go?"

"Sure, I just wanted to get some candy before I went." He told Peterson. "I'm…not the biggest fan of trains. It helps settle my stomach."

"The finest selection in the area is right over there." Peterson told him, handing him a paper bag. "Consider it a gift, for a friend of Mrs Adler."

"Thank you very much." He replied with a gleeful smile as he went over and started to pick out some candy from the various jars. Sadie and Peterson went back to talking as he made his selections, but while he was there he noticed an old picture on the wall. In it, he could distinctly see Sadie, and the storekeeper, along with a whole bunch of other people. Most of them he didn't recognise, but there was one other face that stood out, the man he had met as 'Tacitus Kilgore', the man who had helped him finish his book on Calloway, the man he now knew to be Arthur Morgan.

He had to do a double-take to figure out that it really was Sadie and Peterson in the photograph. He also seemed to notice Sadie's demeanour changed a little when he saw them talking and she had a little bit of a tone about how she said Peterson's name. It didn't take long for it to occur to him. Peterson…Pearson…this man had been part of the Van Der Linde Gang. He was the camp chef from many of Sadie's stories. No wonder they seemed so familiar, she wasn't kidding when she said they went back 'a long way'. He decided though that this was one little detail he could leave out of his book. He just finished stocking up on sweets and headed back to the counter, feigning ignorance.

"Alright, you about ready to go?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"Lead the way, Mrs Adler." He beckoned her as he gestured her towards the door.

When they got to the train station, Sadie stopped by the counter.

"I'll take a cabin, two headin' to Riggs Station." She told him, sliding him some cash. The assistant slid the pass back to her, at which she gestured to Levin to come with her out onto the platform. They found a bench, taking a seat as they waited for the train to arrive. Levin couldn't help looking at her face.

"Don't worry, it ain't the worst I've had and I sure as shit doubt it'll be the worst I get." She assured him.

"I don't doubt that for a minute Mrs Adler." He said, sounding impressed. "I just…I've never actually…you know…I'm practically in tears when I jam my finger in a door or stub my toe, but you just go on like it's nothing."

"You learn to live with it." She assured him, taking a swig from her water canteen. "We didn't exactly have much time to lay around healin' up. Except for Uncle, the problem were gettin' him off his useless old ass. But for the rest of us…yeah, we all just learned to keep goin'."

Back in the past, Sadie awoke in her camp at Copperhead Landing. She didn't really feel much like hanging around at the camp after what happened to Molly. She still couldn't quite believe that she'd ratted them out to the Pinkertons. Molly was a lot of things. She was vain, she was self-important, she was lazy, she was stuck up, but Sadie never for a moment thought that she was a traitor.

From her drunken raving it seemed like Molly had done it to get back at Dutch. It was far from a secret that she didn't think Dutch was giving her the attention and the devotion she felt she deserved. Sadie didn't really want to get involved in anyone else's relationships or affairs. Dutch didn't strike her as the kind of guy that saw any woman as one to settle down with for the long haul. He had an eye for the ladies, and there had been more than a few women before Molly came along. It was no surprise to anyone that when a new member of Dutch's gang that seemed to be a young man showed up many assumed it was Dutch's bastard. The odds were he had a few in various places around the country. He'd also been none too subtle about the fact he'd had an eye on Mary-Beth, something that Sadie suspected might have not sat too well with Molly.

Whatever her personal bullshit with Dutch though, it still didn't make what she did right. Going after Dutch would have been one thing, but what she did was not just an attack on him. She didn't betray him, she betrayed all of them. She put the whole gang in danger. Not even just the ones on the job, Sadie was sure that they had to have only beaten the Pinkertons out of Shady Belle by a couple of hours at the most. Molly was also pretty quick to decide to cut and run from the gang then. The more she thought about it, the more it burned in her gut. Molly got what was coming to her. They owed it to Hosea, to Lenny to make sure they settled the score. But there was still something she couldn't quite shake about the whole scene, and she still couldn't figure out why she wasn't just happy that Molly was gone.

She heard some noise outside the dilapidated old cabin she'd used for shelter, and figured Arthur must have come. The boat was on the bank, and needed to be put back into the water before they were going anywhere. Breaking John out of Sisika was ambitious to say the least, but she felt a whole lot better about their chances knowing that Arthur was going to be by her side.

When she got out of the cabin though, she was a little surprised to find that it wasn't Arthur she found there, but Abigail. She was struggling to drag the boat from the hiding place on the bank towards the water, but she had learned long ago never to underestimate Abigail's strength, particularly when it came to John. She had to go over in her mind to recall but she had told Abigail where they were going. She had only intended Abigail to tell Arthur where to meet her, but it seemed Abigail had decided she was coming along too. Sadie could have kicked herself for that, in hindsight it shouldn't have surprised her Abigail would want to come. It was a dumb thing to do…and exactly the kind of thing Sadie would do herself.

"Hey!" She called out. "Just what in the hell do you think you're doin'?"

"What does it look like?" Abigail asked. Sadie could see that Abigail had already loaded Ms Grimshaw's shotgun, a repeater and a whole lot of ammo into the boat. She didn't want to think how Abigail would have got Ms Grimshaw's shotgun from her. "I'm going with you to rescue my husband!"

"You really think that's a good idea?" Sadie asked her. "You really want to go to a maximum security prison full of armed guards?"

"It's no worse an idea for me to go than it is for you!" Abigail responded.

"Look, we promised we'd bring John home, NOT bring you to John!" Sadie yelled at her. "Besides, what about Jack?"

"Tilly and Mary-Beth are lookin' after him." She replied. Sadie just shook her head.

"It's bad enough one of his parents is riskin' a rope, I am not stickin' your head in a noose too!" Sadie protested, taking the guns out of the boat and tossing them onto the river bank.

"The thing is Sadie, I really can't…" Abigail struggled to say as she tried to reason out what she wanted to say. "I must come, he's my husband!"

Sadie found it difficult to deny her reasoning for that. If it was Jake…if she'd ever been in that situation when Jake was alive…there would be virtually nothing she wouldn't have done to try and save him. But bringing Abigail was just something she wasn't prepared to do.

"I know he's your husband but it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be violent." Sadie told her. Abigail was no stranger to violence, even the members of the gang that tended to employ methods other than straight up force needed to be ready for it once in a while. There was only so long someone could be stolen from before they figured out they were being robbed blind and people didn't take kindly to that. For as much as the nation was becoming 'civilised' a hell of a lot of people still believed very firmly in frontier law. That said, although Abigail had fought with the gang before, there was a world of difference between one-on-one and facing down an army.

"I can handle myself! I'm coming!" She said firmly. Sadie was starting to get irritated now. Was this what it was like for others when she dug her heels in?

"Like I said, it ain't happenin'! You got a boy!" Sadie reiterated, trying to bring up the main ammunition she had against Abigail. Jack was already in danger of losing one of his parents, she only hoped she could finally get it through Abigail's head risking both parents was just a dumb idea. Abigail stood with her hands on her hips.

"I insist!" She yelled.

"Insist all you like, it ain't happenin'!" Sadie responded. Just then, she noticed that Arthur had finally arrived. She didn't like relying on others to make her case for her, but Abigail just wasn't listening to her, but she did usually listen to Arthur. Maybe he could talk some sense into her. "Arthur, tell her."

"Tell her what?" He asked a little wearily. He looked a little worn down, tired. There'd been a lot going on lately, they were all running themselves pretty ragged, but Arthur…she had seen him pretty beaten down before, but lately he just seemed to be getting pulled in a million directions at once. He also seemed to look a little vacant, like he hadn't really figured out what was going on, like he was still trying to catch up. She'd have thought Abigail being there would have been enough for him to figure it out.

"She ain't comin' with us to collect her husband." Sadie told him. This seemed to get the desired effect.

"Abigail, you ain't coming, that's the end of it!" Arthur put down in his usual, gruff tone that indicated it was not a matter that was up for debate.

"See, there, you heard him." Sadie said as she and Arthur started to prepare the boat. They were both limited in what they could bring with them, although they knew trouble was likely it wasn't as though they could carry a whole arsenal. Sadie had a couple of revolvers and her repeater, Arthur seemed to opt for the same. They were hoping to avoid trouble more than invite it. Hopefully by the time the first shots were heard and the alarm was sounded, they hoped to be on their way back to the mainland. Being able to move fast would be a lot more valuable than more firepower. "Now, let's go."

"But…"

"But nothing!" Sadie yelled. "It'll be quicker and easier with just the two of us. Plus, John will be calmer without worrying about you. Ain't complicated."

"Well…well I ain't the cryin' sort." Abigail assured them. "But I'm real grateful."

"Yeah, we know you are." Sadie replied as Arthur started to row them out into the river. She was glad they had finally gotten Abigail to see sense. It didn't take a genius to know that their mission was a long-shot. There weren't many scenarios that didn't end with all three of them dead or in prison. Sadie wasn't actually sure what'd happen if she was arrested on Sisika. She didn't actually know if Sisika had female prisoners. Still, at least now if the worst happened, Jack would still have one of his parents. She could see the look on Abigail's face and knew that she was grateful. They were offering her far more than she would ever have been able to ask of anyone. "We'll bring him back to you."

"Thank you!" Abigail called after them, her voice breaking a little. "Thank you both!"

Even though Abigail had assured them she wasn't the crying sort, Sadie could distinctly see her wiping her eyes as they left.

The trip to Sisika was a long one. It was no coincidence that one of the most secure prisons in the country was located there. Even without the old fort that now acted as the prison, the main obstacle to escape was the river. One of the main reasons guards had no fear letting prisoners out of the prison on their work detail was because even if they were somehow surprised or overpowered the prisoners had nowhere to go. There was only one boat that went in or out of the prison and it never remained on the island. It would drop off the new inmates, pick up the lucky ones that had lived out their sentences and guards that were heading home on rotation and leave again. If a prisoner did make it as far as the shore, they could either turn themselves back in or take their chances with the river. More than one had taken the latter option and was never seen again.

The boat they had stolen was small, only large enough for three of them, just small enough that it was possible they would get to the island unnoticed. Being in such close confines did give Sadie a lot of time to get a close look at Arthur, much closer than she'd had the chance to in some time. Arthur always did tend to strike out on his own and do his own thing and Sadie, well, she'd had more than a few of her own issues as of late so she'd not really spent a lot of time with Arthur lately.

His face was pale, something she'd noticed since he'd been back from Guarma and the sun damage had subsided, but seeing him this close, it wasn't just white, but almost a kind of dull grey. His eyes looked bloodshot, and had deep, dark circles under them. As he rowed, she could see that his strokes looked a lot more laboured than she would have expected, and he seemed to tire a lot more quickly than she would have expected. He coughed a few times, taking care to cover his face. Arthur was one of the few people in the world that could give her a run for her money when it came to being stubborn. He would always go and do whatever he was meant to for the gang regardless of how he felt. The only reason he was in bed for a couple of weeks after his torture at the hands of Colm was because Dutch outright forbid anyone from even asking him to do anything until he was back on his feet. It wouldn't surprise her if he went even if he was in no condition to go. Part of her wondered if she should turn back, but right now John was on borrowed time. People had to know Dutch and the others were back which meant John's usefulness as bait was running out. The longer it was before a rescue attempt, the more likely it was they'd simply assume no one was coming for him and hang him.

"Alright, here goes nothing." Sadie said, trying to break the silence as much as to go through the plan, knowing that once they got to the island they'd have to move quickly. There wouldn't be much time to discuss matters, with so many guards the most likely way anyone was getting out alive was to get in, get John and run like hell before anyone knew any different. "The place is surrounded by marshland. Should hopefully give us a bit of cover to move in close enough to find a spot to look for John."

Arthur just seemed to grunt in response. His breathing seemed a little laboured as he rowed, and she could see his hands were shaky on the oars. He was starting to sweat at a worrying rate.

"This time of day, prisoners will probably be working the fields." She told him. "So then all we gotta do is take out all the guards and row our way out of there. Seems simple enough."

"How many times Marston?" Arthur grumbled. He rowed on a little further before he started coughing again, this time a little more fiercely, breaking into a fit. Sadie just looked to Arthur as he tried to act like nothing had happened.

"You alright Arthur?" She asked redundantly. It was pretty clear he wasn't. He was obviously sick. Turning back occurred to her again, but given how little time John had, she wasn't sure they had time for Arthur to get over whatever he had picked up.

"I'll be fine." He told her, before starting to row again. He started coughing again, this time a lot more fiercely. Sadie just got up, unbalancing the boat slightly. Arthur just looked to her angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Move over." She told him. "I'm rowin'."

"Are you crazy? You nearly tipped us both into the river!" Arthur yelled, before spluttering and coughing a little. Sadie just rolled her eyes at him.

"Look, clearly you're sick…"

"I told you I was fine woman!" He snapped.

"And I told YOU that all I wanted were to be treated equal!" She reminded him. She knew he wasn't going to give up, no matter what she said, and even at half strength, she needed him if she was going to have any chance in hell of getting John out. "You're gonna be doin' half the fightin' and half the shootin' it seems only fair I do half the rowin'!"

"Sit your ass down before you tip us both into the damn river!" Arthur yelled at her.

"You know I'm just as stubborn as you Arthur Morgan, now you either give me those oars or I'm gonna take 'em from you!"

Arthur looked like he was considering challenging her, but he seemed to accept that they had reached an impasse. Both of them were so hard headed neither of them were ever going to back down.

"HALF the rowin'!" He stated, before they awkwardly changed position. Sadie took up her position and started to row as Arthur got a chance to rest up for a bit. She watched him as he took some deep breaths, while looking around for something.

"I got a canteen…"

"I got my own." He told her.

"It's just…"

"I said I'll use my own!" He snapped. She just shrugged and thought nothing more of it. If he wanted a win so desperately he was going to insist on using his own canteen instead of hers, she wasn't going to argue. He finally found his own canteen and took a long gulp, before settling into the boat, watching her row. He took another drink, before starting to chuckle.

"What?" Sadie asked with a little smile on her face. Arthur just waved her off. "What? If you're laughin' at me Athur Morgan..."

"No, I weren't laughin' at you." He answered her, still chuckling to himself.

"Then what?" She asked.

"I were just thinkin'...about our tomb stones." He told her. Sadie furrowed her brows a little. "Here lie Arthur Morgan and Sadie Adler. The only two idiots in history to try and break INTO a maximum security State Penitentiary."

Sadie started to laugh with him as they continued on their journey. It was gallows humour at its most literal, but right now, it was just the laugh she needed


	36. Jail Break Divide

By the time Sadie and Arthur reached Sisika, the sun was high in the sky. All things considered, trying to sneak in anywhere was always best done at night, but since the prisoners were locked up at night, there really was no choice but to go in the middle of the day. It was going to be much easier to take out a couple of guards and run like hell from a field than it was breaking into the prison. As they got close to the island, Arthur rowed more slowly to let Sadie keep an eye on the nearby guard tower.

She kept an eye on the guard through her binoculars as Arthur brought the boat closer and closer to the shore as quietly as he could. She was trying to see when he would look around to try and see if there was any kind of patrol pattern that would give her an indication when they could make landfall without risk of him turning around and seeing them. However as he stood, resting on the railing, tossing away his cigarette and lighting up another, his third in the time she'd been watching him, it looked like he didn't look out over the river at all. He was instead there to keep an eagle eye over the work details. She could only presume that they weren't really expecting anyone to want to come to the island.

"Okay, bring us over." She told Arthur as she satisfied herself the guard wasn't going to turn around, putting away her binoculars. Arthur brought them up on a bank by some bushes, at which they got out and started to pull the boat up and into cover, out of sight. There was as much danger from the other prisoners as the guards with the boat. Their boat now existed as the only feasible way off the island. Not only was there a chance a guard spotting the boat could raise the alarm, if any of the other inmates found it and took it themselves, they were done for. Once they had concealed it as best they could, they started to look for a way towards the closest guard tower.

"We good?" Arthur asked.

"Uh huh." Sadie confirmed, seeing the guard now pulling out a hip flask and taking a swig. She had a feeling that his shift could get pretty tedious considering the fact the main thing keeping the inmates in line was the hopelessness of knowing even if they did escape their guards they would only make it as far as the shore. It had to make escape attempts pretty rare. "Let's head for that watchtower."

Their plan was pretty up in the air on details other than find John and run like hell. It wasn't as though they had a chance to get a map of the island or anything. Still, it occurred to them both that the guard on the watch tower had a rifle and a great vantage point. Getting rid of him would not only silence a pretty serious threat, but give them the advantage of a good vantage point. Sadie trailed a little behind Arthur as they went. He was surprisingly quick on his feet, even despite the terrain. By the time Sadie got to the tower, he was already climbing up the ladder. She got to the hatch just in time to see Arthur gripping him in a tight choke hold. He fought for a moment, but quickly fell silent as Arthur let him drop to the ground quietly.

"Okay, come on up." Arthur told her as he snatched up the guard's rifle. He used the scope to have a look around the fields at the work detail. Arthur lined up a shot. He didn't need to tell Sadie to get ready to move. A gunshot out here would likely be heard around most of the island. As soon as they took the shot, they had only minutes to get John and get back to the boat before all hell broke loose. Sadie took out her binoculars to take a look as he prepared to fire. The first shot rang out and she saw a guard fall from his horse. The other guard flailed for a moment, but soon the second shot rang out and he fell too, rolling around on the ground. Arthur slung the rifle over his shoulder, likely to deny the guard a weapon if he woke up before they were on their way. She scanned the prisoners as they realised their captors had fallen and started to run.

"Well, shit, I don't think that was John!" She exclaimed, unable to see him.

"Let's get over there and see!" Arthur told her as he leapt down from the tower and started running. Sadie followed him quickly, knowing that they didn't have long before someone came to find out what the gunfire was about. They passed a few prisoners running past them on the way. Sadie could only hope that they had hidden the boat well enough. They sure as hell didn't look like guards which meant the prisoners had to know that since they had gotten to the island they likely had a way back off the island. If they found the boat, they were all done for before they even found John.

They got to the field, at which Arthur looked around for any sign of their friend. Sadie caught up to him.

"Come on, Arthur, let's keep moving." She beckoned him. "Where is he?"

"You see him?" Arthur asked. He wasn't sure if John had gone for cover when the gunshots started, or if he had even been there at all. Sadie went to one of the guards, who was still writhing around in pain on the ground, clutching his leg. She kicked his gun away and levelled a revolver at his head.

"You, mister, you know John Marston?" She asked him, cocking the hammer to emphasise the threat.

"He…he ain't…he ain't workin' today." He said in pained grunts. Shit, that was all they needed! It never even occurred to Sadie that there might be a schedule. She always assumed prisoners would be forced to work every day. No doubt the schedule would be kept in the prison, probably put together each day or perhaps even each week. With no access to that, there was no way they could plan another attempt, and now they had tried to spring John once, the guards would only be on higher alert for them trying again. She was wondering how it could get any worse when she heard an audible click, the unmistakable sound of a repeater cocking. She just sighed and held her hands up.

"Put the gun down lady!" He warned her. Sadie was about to comply when Arthur stepped in. He'd gone to have a look around to see if he could see any sign of John. He managed to get the drop on the guard, planting his own revolver against his skull.

"No, YOU put the gun down!" Arthur warned him. Sadie finally turned around in time to see the guard dropping the repeater in the ground and holding his hands in the air. He was letting out a pathetic little whimper as Arthur grabbed him around the neck. "Where's John Marston?"

"He ain't in the work detail today!" The guard whimpered as he trembled in Arthur's grip. Sadie sighed. He'd just confirmed her worst fear. It was all for nothing. John wasn't even in the field, which meant he had to be in the prison. What could they do now? There was only two of them and even with the whole gang she wasn't sure storming the prison would be practical. She was a little startled as Arthur gabbed the man by the scruff of the neck and started marching him.

"Okay, well I guess we'll go and get him together!" Arthur told him, heading towards the prison. Sadie couldn't do much other than follow Arthur. The plan had well and truly run off the rails, and now Arthur seemed to be making it up as he went along. "Try anything, and I'll blow your damn head off, you clear on that?"

"Yes…very clear!" He stammered fearfully. Sadie followed on, prepared to cover Arthur. She could see a guard up ahead coming towards them, preparing his gun, and she was getting ready to deal with him, but she saw him hesitating as he saw the man in Arthur's grip.

"On your right!" Arthur instructed her. Sadie didn't know what he wanted her to do. The guard though seemed to relax his grip on the gun, pointing it towards the ground. She ran up, taking the gun away from him and clubbed him across the skull with her revolver, sending him to the ground. She satisfied herself he was out before following Arthur towards the path.

Was this the plan? Was Arthur really counting on the guards valuing the life of one of their own over keeping control of the prison? She didn't doubt that the gang would never put one of their own at risk, but the guards? What if they were instructed to ignore the hostage and fire anyway? Sisika held some of the most dangerous criminals in the country. She wouldn't be surprised if they placed a higher priority on preventing them getting out than the lives of their own.

"Why don't you apologise to the lady for pointing a gun at her?" Arthur scolded the guard. Sadie could hardly believe her ears. Had Arthur finally lost his mind? He was actually demanding the guard apologise to her while they were heading to one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the state?

"Excuse me?" The guard snivelled, by now sniffing back tears. Sadie almost felt sorry for him now. Clearly the guard also felt the same way about Arthur's demand.

"I said, apologise!" Arthur reiterated a little more forcefully. By now the guard seemed to get the impression Arthur indeed was not joking.

"I'm sorry ma'am!" He sobbed.

"Ain't no harm done." She assured him as she saw a couple more guards. They too seemed to prepare their weapons, and then think better of it. She ran up to them, taking care of them quickly as Arthur continued towards the prison. She wasn't entirely sure whether he was hoping to just march the poor bastard up to the gate and trade him for John, or actually walk straight into the prison with him. Frankly at this point neither would have surprised her!

"Now, who's in charge of this fine establishment?" Arthur asked as Sadie emptied the guard's guns, tossing the bullets into the swamp before following him.

"Jameson, sir." The guard informed him.

"Jameson who?" Arthur asked him.

"No, Mr Jameson. Heston Jameson." He clarified.

"Tell me, is he a nice feller?" Arthur asked him. For the first time, Sadie was starting to think maybe Arthur was starting to consider if this was a good plan. Was Jameson the kind of man who'd trade a prisoner to get his man back safely? Or was he the kind of boss who'd order his men to open fire on him! Since Arthur had as high a price on his head as John had, it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that the warden would be so eager to claim his scalp that the cost of a guard would not bother him.

Sadie followed on, keeping an eye out for more guards as Arthur interrogated the man further. The whole thing felt like it was a march to the gallows. She was never a gambler but if she was, she wasn't sure she'd put her money on the chance the guards wouldn't just shoot all three of them. By the time they got to the gates, she could see guards lined up all along the wall, aiming their way. She gulped as she saw the number of guns pointed their way. If someone gave the word, they were done for.

"Drop the God damn guns!" Arthur called out, with all the confidence of a man with an entire infantry regiment behind him. Sadie had to wonder what was giving Arthur the courage because her legs were starting to quiver, gearing up to turn tail and run faster than she'd ever run in her life! "Jameson! Is Jameson in?"

"He's in Saint Denis!" One of them called out, presumably the one that was in charge in his absence. Sadie could only hope that this was a good sign. Perhaps another of the guards would be more likely to value the life of one of his friends than the warden, who probably had to answer to much more demanding and unreasonable bosses. "They got Milliken!"

"Got him, and going to kill him!" Arthur declared. Sadie became aware of a strange sound, like water running. She looked towards Milliken and realised piss was running down his leg and out the bottom of his pants. Right now, she couldn't blame him. "Unless you bring me John Marston! Right now! You got one minute!"

This was about as far from Sadie's original plan as she could imagine. She wondered if Arthur knew something she didn't because she was still waiting on someone just taking the shot and the whole thing ending in a firing squad. Her heart pounded so loudly that she couldn't really hear much of what else was being said. All she was aware of was Milliken sobbing, the men on the walls whispering to each other, trying to decide what to do and the weight of her own gun, and trying to think whether she'd be better served having it to shoot back, or ditching it in the hopes losing the weight might give her a few more seconds on them if they chose to run. She only snapped out of it as the gates swung open. To her astonishment, one of the guards was leading John outside. He hobbled towards them, his movements hampered by leg irons.

"Hello you two!" John greeted them gratefully as Sadie kicked his feet apart, before shooting the chain, breaking it. When…IF they got off the island, they could worry about getting the manacles off. She just pulled out her second revolver, handing it to John, at which they started to back away from the prison. It looked like Arthur's gamble had paid off. Now they could only hope they hid the boat well enough that the other inmates in the field hadn't found it!

"Looks like today is your lucky day!" Arthur said as he shoved Milliken to the ground. As soon as he was released, the guards opened fire. Sadie, John and Arthur immediately took to heel, running for their lives! It was clear that fighting wasn't an option. Darting from cover to cover, they finally made it back to the boat. Fortunately it seemed the other prisoners hadn't found it after all. Arthur covered them as Sadie and John hauled the boat down the bank and into the water.

"You always seem to need rescuing Marston!" Arthur said as he fired on the pursuing guards.

"Nice to see you too Arthur." John replied as they scrambled into the boat. Sadie fired a couple of shots to give Arthur the opportunity to climb into the boat himself.

"Ah, there's some fellers coming here, don't look too friendly." Arthur stated. "Best we get out of here."

"Come on boys, let's move!" Sadie agreed. "I'll row, you shoot!"

"Seriously?" Arthur asked.

"You're a better shot!" Sadie conceded.

"Right, fine!" Arthur muttered. "You just settle in and enjoy yourself John, leave the real work for them as can handle it!"

Sadie rowed as fast as she possibly could. By the time they were out of range of the guards, she felt like her arms were about to fall off, and they ached so much she thought that might just be a mercy.

"Thanks for the hospitality boys!" John called out, cackling as he waved his former captors farewell. Arthur stowed his repeater over his shoulder.

"Glad to see you're feeling in such high spirits Marston." Arthur told him. "Since you're so well rested, you can row us the rest of the way back to shore."

"Wait, what?" John asked.

"Seems fair to me." Sadie teased him. "I mean, we did bust you out of there, seems like the least you can do is row us back."

"I've been in one of the toughest prisons ever built!" John protested.

"Yeah, and while you've been playin' farm boy, the two of us were workin' to get you out." Arthur replied, sitting down on the boat and lighting up a cigarette. John just shook his head and sighed.

"Well, can I at least get one of those?" He asked. Arthur gave him a wicked smirk.

"Wouldn't you know it? That was my last one." Arthur responded. John just took up position, rowing the boat as Sadie and Arthur looked to each other. Sadie gave him a little nod, wordlessly thanking him. She'd promised Abigail she'd bring John back, but without Arthur, she'd never have managed it. Arthur just nodded in response.

It was late in the afternoon by the time they got back to the shore. Sadie just tied up the boat to the jetty. There was really no need to hide it now. Since they'd already gotten John back she really didn't care what happened to it now. Their horses were waiting dutifully on the shore for them.

"You know, I think I liked you better when you was all trussed up like a prize chicken." Arthur taunted John playfully. Now they were out of danger, they were able to relax a little.

"No doubt!" John chuckled. Sadie just rolled her eyes as she unhitched the horses.

"Oh, hurry up!" She groaned, seeing the two old friends messing around together. "They're gonna be on our tail soon enough if you boys keep messin' around."

John and Arthur just looked at each other.

"That's us told then." Arthur stated, before they both laughed. Sadie just threw her hands up as they headed for the horses and mounted up. John got on behind Sadie, sharing her horse for the journey back to Beaver Hollow. It would be a while before word got from Sisika back to the mainland about the escape, which as far as anyone knew would be the first in the prison's history, but that didn't mean they wanted to hang around and wait for patrols to start up, especially since they were travelling with a man wearing a prison uniform.

"So, what the hell happened in Saint Denis? Is Abigail alright?" John asked. It was an inevitable question. John no doubt had to be going out of his mind in prison. They doubted he had much fear of what would happen to him, but not knowing whether or not Abigail and Jack were alright had to be driving him mad.

"She's fine. So's Jack." Arthur told him, reassuring him of what he knew had to be his biggest worries. "She managed to escape when they got Hosea."

"Hosea, that still don't seem real somehow." John said rather distantly. The one thing John did know, the one thing he had manged to see during the robbery was Hosea being gunned down in the street by Milton. Sadie could feel his grip around her loosen a little, and his voice barely contained how he felt. She didn't know much about John's family, other than he considered himself an orphan from a young age. Hosea was a father to him longer than his own dad. "All those years, Arthur, he was like…family."

"Yeah, we lost young Lenny too." Arthur told him.

"No…what a God damn mess." He replied. "And did we...what about…the money?"

"Lost somewhere at the bottom of the ocean." Arthur told him truthfully. John just looked to him.

"What?" He shrieked. "How the hell did that happen?"

"We hid on a boat. It was our only way out of there." Arthur explained. "The boat went down in a storm and we ended up stranded on an island somewhere near Cuba."

"Cuba? Wait, you're gonna have to tell me all this again." John said, sounding completely confused. Sadie could only imagine what it sounded like. A hell of a lot had happened since the bank job.

"It's a long story, but things ain't been good John." Arthur told him.

"You're telling me!" John exclaimed.

"We've holed up now in the mountains in the north, near Roanoake Ridge in some caves." Arthur informed him as they headed towards the new hideout. "The Pinkertons caught up with us again and we had to move."

"Yeah, seems Molly ratted us out, the bitch, so she's dead too." Sadie said bitterly. John just let out a sound of defeat hearing all of this.

"Jesus, maybe you should have left me to hang!" He responded bitterly. It did have to sound a lot like everything had fallen apart since the bank robbery. Then again, the way things were, Sadie wasn't sure that was entirely untrue.

"And I should warn you. Dutch didn't want us breaking you out." Arthur told him. "Said it wasn't the right time, so…it might not be the hero's welcome you're expecting."

"So much for no man left behind." He sneered. "I can't stop thinkin' about the bank. When they grabbed me, he saw it. It felt like he had a moment to do something and didn't."

Sadie had to think about that. She had known John a while now, and she had always known him to be honest. Was it possible that Dutch had cut him loose? Maybe John was just sore that he had been captured while the rest had gotten away and he misread the situation.

"Dutch ain't himself right now…or…maybe he just ain't who we thought he was." Arthur commented. Sadie had noticed that there was something of a strain building up between Arthur and Dutch. She didn't know if anything had happened between them on Guarma, or if maybe Arthur was starting to think about branching out on his own, starting his own gang. She had seen some troubling things from Dutch, but at the same time he'd always kept his promises to her. She didn't want to feel like she had to make a choice, not least because she honestly didn't know which way she'd decide to go if she was forced to choose. Arthur who had always been distant, but straight with her, or Dutch who was promising her the one thing she had wanted since she was rescued from the mountains.

"Guess we don't need to worry about who's his favourite no more." John sighed.

By the time they got back to camp, everything had been set up and it finally looked a little more like somewhere they could consider home. Karen had made herself at home, propping herself up against a tree with a bottle in her hand as usual. Abigail, Mary-Beth and Tilly were tending to Jack as they rode in. As soon as she saw them, Abigail was on her feet, sprinting towards them as they dismounted.

"You brought him back to me!" She hurried out through some tears. Sadie just smiled as John went to her.

"I told you we would." Sadie assured her as she and John wrapped their arms around each other. She was glad to have been able to bring them back together. She did notice that Arthur wasn't quite as into the scene, instead looking toward the camp. Looking up, she could see why. Dutch and Micah had seen them arrive and were heading their way. They didn't look at all happy.

"What are you doing here?" Dutch demanded.

"It's good to see you too partner!" John said with some distinct venom in his tone.

"I meant I hadn't sent for you yet." Dutch said coldly, eyeing up John judgementally. Arthur stepped up.

"I went." Arthur interjected. He didn't mention her, she had a feeling that he wanted as few people involved as possible. Dutch looked to Arthur angrily.

"I said…"

"Yeah, I know what you said." Arthur interrupted him sternly. "I felt different."

"Is that so?" Dutch asked him.

"Yes." Arthur said, coming face-to-face with him. Sadie stood off to the side, unable to look away but not knowing whether or not to get involved. She got a welcome distraction in the form of Micah, noticing him with his hand straying near his gun. She put her hand on the handle of her revolver. She had no idea what was going down between Dutch and Arthur but she did know that if Micah made a move, she was going to put a bullet straight between his eyes.

"And when springing John brings the law down on all of us, what then Arthur?" Dutch asked him in a sinister calm tone. Sadie's mind once again was filled with confusion. Dutch had a point, springing John from prison would bring a lot of attention. Did she jump the gun? Was Dutch just waiting for the right time to spring him right before they left this God forsaken place for good?

"Well, I guess we'll have another fight on our hands." Arthur said flatly. Sadie could swear she saw Dutch positively shaking, like a volcano about to blow.

"Loyalty Arthur, it ain't…" He looked away and took a deep breath. "I had a God damn PLAN!"

Sadie watched as Dutch ran his hands over his face, trying to compose himself.

"John. John. You are my brother. You are my son." He said to him with a hurt look in his eyes. "I was coming for you."

Sadie couldn't feel badly about bringing John back safely, but now she was starting to think that she had misread the situation completely. She knew she was impulsive and impatient, had she just not seen that Dutch had every intention of bringing John back?

"They…they was talkin' about hangin' me Dutch!" John yelled at him. Sadie could understand why he was angry, but Dutch just looked hurt and angry in response.

"They was talking." Dutch reiterated. "They was talking! And now, they may come and hang us all!"

With that, Dutch and Micah walked away. Abigail took John by the arm.

"Come on John." She whispered. "Let's go find Pearson, get those leg irons off."

Sadie just looked to Arthur, who was just staring after Dutch. She was about to approach him to speak to him when he just walked off without a word.


	37. A Change of Scenery

Things at the camp were changing, and not in a good way. Even in her earliest days with the gang, only days after losing her beloved Jake, at their lowest moments, while they were running and hiding, whether they were starving and freezing their asses off in the mountains or scraping together whatever they could in Horseshoe or even when they were being eaten alive by bugs and melting under the humid heat of Lakay, there was always still a sense of joy in the camp, a feeling of family. After the confrontation when John came back from Sisika, the usual conversations and songs were replaced by whispers in corners and strange, side-ways glances. Dutch and Micah could be seen talking most of the time, but would quickly become quiet whenever anyone else got close, especially Arthur. The joy in the camp suddenly felt like a memory, drifting away like the last smoke from the embers of a dying campfire.

John was spending all his time with Abigail and Jack. While there was work to do, the one thing he agreed with Dutch on was that it wasn't the time to tempt fate. Wanted posters bearing his likeness were going up from Annesburg to San Denis, and there were even reports coming back from those that did venture out of the camp of checkpoints of Pinkertons, questioning anyone on the roads in the area. He seemed happy enough to spend his time with them. Sadie had to figure the thought had probably crossed his mind as more than just a possibility that he'd never see them again. It seemed to make him appreciate what he had all the more, and now looking at him, she could scarcely imagine a time when he didn't even acknowledge Jack.

Mary-Beth had retreated once more into her writing. Sadie couldn't remember a time in those days when Mary-Beth didn't have a pen in her hand. If even a fraction of what she was writing ever got made into books, Sadie had to believe she'd fill whole libraries all by herself. She had only glimpsed something Mary-Beth wrote once, it just seemed her way of processing life, of dealing with everything going on around her, was to write stories and characters that did feel a little bit familiar in some respects.

Javier and Bill spent a lot of time together, talking between themselves. She didn't notice them approaching either Arthur or Dutch unless they were directly addressed. There were glances at either one of them in the times they spoke, but they, like everyone else, fell silent when anyone else got close.

Even then it felt a lot like something had been lost, something no one was sure could ever be regained. There were people starting to drift into subtle, but noticeable groups. Some seemed to be drifting towards Arthur more often, others spending their time currying Dutch's favour. Others seemed to just hang back like they didn't know which way to go, while others…she noticed that others weren't unpacking their bags and were living out of the backs of wagons and saddle bags. Something was coming, she wasn't sure what, but what troubled her most of all was she didn't know which way she should go if the time came that they did split and people had to decide which, if either of them they followed.

She was watching Karen, who seemed to be the only one largely untroubled by the drama in the camp. She didn't know what was more pronounced, whether it was her condition or the fact she seemed to spend every waking moment so drunk she was barely able to stay on her feet for more than a few minutes at a time. In some ways, she had to wonder if Karen had the right idea. She was interrupted and brought out of her thoughts as she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sadie, will you ride with me?" He asked her.

"Ride with you?" She asked. "Where?"

"Waipiti." He told her.

"To do what?" She asked him.

"I just…need to get out of here for a couple of days." He told her. Sadie looked over to Dutch, who was once more in deep conversation with Micah about something, while holding some papers. She didn't want to venture too far. She knew that Colm was due to be hung any day now, and Dutch had promised her that she would be first pick to ride with him when that happened. She didn't want to be too far away when the time came and risk Dutch going without her. Still, looking around the camp, she could only remember how the last couple of days had dragged in, and could only feel like it wasn't going to get better any time soon.

"Just a couple of days?" She asked. He just nodded.

"I want to help Paytah and Eagle Flies with some hunting." Charles told her. "Come, I'll show you how we hunt."

"Sure, why not?" Sadie asked as she looked around the camp, seeing Arthur talking to Strauss, seeming to be a little more agitated than normal as he spoke to him. She knew that Arthur didn't like the work he did for Strauss. He always said the money-lending never felt right to him, but it was a source of income for the gang, and all the way out in Roanoake, it wasn't like there were many high-value targets given the lack of traders and stage coaches. "Anythin' would be more fun than hangin' around here."

The ride up to Waipiti took them far up north. Not quite as far as her old ranch, but pretty far up into the mountains. So much so that she found herself wishing she had brought a coat with her. She'd never gotten around to getting one of her own. She'd only bought clothes for herself in Rhodes and around Saint Denis which were hotter than hell. Charles could see her staring to get a little uncomfortable and gave her a woollen shawl. It was dyed and styled very much in a Native style. She'd noticed that Charles was starting to wear more and more clothing and trinkets that reflected that side of his heritage. She knew he'd been spending a lot of time up in Waipiti, and he'd mentioned a few times going to help them with things. She felt like he was more at peace coming up towards the reservation. He'd always spoken fondly of his time with his people in his youth.

As they rode into the reservation, she looked around and could see the tribe had been shoved into a little corner of the state, out of the way of other developments. The people here didn't complain, but they didn't need to for her to see that they had been sold short. There was barely any land that could grow much in the way of produce, with the ground being mostly solid rock. It was as though someone had found the furthest, most out of the way place to put the Waipiti with no real consideration as to how they were going to survive and little care about the matter either. She did take comfort from Charles' presence, but she couldn't help feeling a little out of place being here, almost guilty even though she personally had no hand in their current living quarters.

As they dismounted, hitching up their horses, Charles headed for one of the tents, the largest and most ornate of the dwellings on the reservation. As he approached, she saw an old man, one that felt oddly familiar, sitting by a fire outside, brewing something up. He saw Charles and got to his feet, coming over and embracing him as a brother, greeting him in an unfamiliar language that Sadie could only presume was Waipiti.

"Charles, I'm glad you returned." He greeted him warmly.

"I promised I would." Charles reminded him. "Rains Fall, I am sure you remember Mrs Adler."

"Sadie, yes…yes, I remember." Rains Fall greeted her, coming in for an embrace. Sadie was a little uncomfortable at first, but felt like she would offend the old man if she refused his greeting. She was a little puzzled by the way Charles had introduced her and had to rack her brain trying to figure out how they had met before. It took her a moment to remember a hazy fever dream and an older man she hadn't met before for the connection to finally be made.

"You…you were the one that helped me in Lakay." She responded. "I'm sorry, I weren't too sure a lot of the stuff I were seein' was real." Rains Fall smiled.

"It was a pleasure. I am pleased to see that you have healed." He responded. "Charles asked for my help when the fever refused to break. It is much further than I have ridden from my people in many years."

"My husband always said I had a head like a rock." Sadie chuckled. "But I were…well…I weren't sure what I were seein' was real and what wasn't. I'm glad at least one of the friendly faces I saw were real."

"I'm pleased we've been able to meet under more pleasant circumstances." He replied, before gesturing her towards the fire. "But come, sit by the fire, make yourself comfortable. Allow me to make you some tea."

"That really isn't…"

"We'd be honoured." Charles interrupted her, glancing to Sadie and gesturing to the ground. She got the feeling it was another cultural thing that he was trying to help her with. The last thing she wanted to do was offend Rains Fall, not just because he was the chief, but also because she owed him her life. When the infection took her following the Night Folk attack, she was gripped with a fever that simply refused to break. She had been told once she recovered that Swanson had given her the Last Rights no less than three times. She barely noticed as about a fortnight had passed. Sitting by the fire, Charles and Rains Fall sat with her. The old chief looked to the pot he was mixing his infusion into.

"So, Charles tells me you were the chief of your own tribe for a time." Rains Fall stated. Sadie looked to Charles and smiled.

"I suppose you could put it like that." She replied. "Truth be told I just reckon no one else wanted the job and it needed done."

"How do you think most great leaders come to their position?" Rains Fall asked her. She just shrugged. "I have found in my experience that those who desire leadership are rarely those that should be leaders. Often those who believe they should lead only see the glory and the adulation, but not the burden it carries."

Sadie just nodded. She had only spoken with the man for a brief amount of time…at least, only once when she wasn't completely delirious between having her brain scrambled by a club and a fever that drove her so far out of her mind she was still convinced she had spoken to Jake. Her time as the 'leader' of the Van Der Linde Gang had been brief, and although she'd had some success, with it, she had learned of a lot of the pressures that Dutch must have felt. There was a large part of her that was glad when Dutch came back and was only too happy to hand the reins back to him, regardless of the situation building up at camp. Rains Fall poured some of the concoction into a bowl and handed it to her.

She took the bowl from him, looking to Charles, who nodded in approval. She took a long sip, finding it warm, satisfying, and invigorating, seeming to almost lift her up and make her feel lighter. She felt like she could lift her horse over her head after drinking it. Charles took the bowl from her and drank the mixture, before handing the bowl back to Rains Fall. He drank also, before putting the bowl down. Sadie felt a warm flush in her face, and a little bit of a smile crossing her lips.

"It is something of a heady brew is it not?" He asked her.

"You can say that again." She commented. "Shit, I thought coffee had a kick!"

"I thought you might like it." He answered. "Charles has told me a great deal about you Mrs Adler."

"Sadie." She corrected him, before looking to Charles. "So, what's he been sayin'?"

"Nothing bad." Charles assured her. Just then a younger man approached. He was carrying a bow and had a quiver of arrows over his shoulder. He nudged Charles to get his attention. He said something to him in his native language, only for Rains Fall to respond rather sharply, before looking to Sadie. "I must apologise for my son, Eagle Flies. He is sometimes thoughtless in his words. He can forget his manners at times."

"Apologies." The younger man said in a rather insincere sounding aside to Sadie, before nudging Charles again. "Charles, we should get going. The game will be going to rest soon."

"Alright." Charles said as he started to get up. Sadie started to get up with him, at which Eagle Flies just looked to her curiously. Sadie could kind of recognise that same look from a lot of other people she'd encountered in her life.

"You got somethin' to say?" She asked him. Eagle Flies looked to Charles and said something to him. Sadie just shoved him.

"Hey, I'm over here." She reminded him. "You got somethin' to say, you can say it to me."

Eagle Flies looked between his father and Charles, neither of whom seemed particularly happy with what he had said. He eventually looked to Sadie.

"The terrain is rough, and we ride fast." He told her. Sadie picked up her repeater and slung it over her shoulder.

"Don't worry." She told him. "I'm sure you'll be able to keep up."

Charles just laughed as he went with her to mount up. They spurred on their horses, hitting a long trail away from the reservation out west to more fertile hunting grounds. She'd learned long ago that there was no point in engaging in a war of words with men that doubted her. It was far better to simply show them that she was capable of holding her own.

The phrase "born in the saddle" had a whole new meaning when it came to the Waipiti. She'd already known that they were capable horsemen, having seen them at times riding through the area around her homestead on occasion, but nothing did it justice until she saw it up close. They were taught from a young age to ride. For travel, for hunting, and when the situation called for it, for battle. The tribe lacked the numbers it once had, and needed to rely on their ability to keep mobile in order to catch skittish game and avoid those that would do them harm.

They rode along rocky, narrow, treacherous mountain paths like they were wide, open roads, barely breaking pace for anything other than an obstacle directly on the path, and even then they seemed to snake around it or jump over it seemingly effortlessly. The Waipiti were not only skilled riders, but skilled horse trainers too. They had incredible stamina and speed, far beyond what even the most accomplished horse breeders in the nearby settlements. Sadie was starting to regret her words in telling Eagle Flies she could keep up, but she was far too stubborn to admit that she might have overestimated her ability. She rode her horse as hard as it would go, but by the time they got to the far more fertile hunting grounds of Willard's Rest, both she and her horse were exhausted. Eagle Flies held up a hand as he called the party to a halt.

"There's game nearby, I can feel it." He declared. Sadie had a look around, trying to find any sign of the game he was talking about. She had always considered herself a good hunter, but meeting Charles definitely challenged that. He and the Waipiti had what almost seemed like a supernatural sense of when game was nearby. Charles had taught her some of his techniques, but she still found him running off on tracks that to her were invisible.

As she looked around, she saw what looked like a freshly dug grave nearby, and a house a little way beyond it. She nudged Charles and pointed towards it.

"Someone lives out here." She told him. Eagle Flies just looked and shrugged.

"She and her husband moved out some time ago." He told her. "City people that thought they would get a peaceful life out here."

"Looks like it didn't end too well for one of 'em." Sadie replied. "Maybe we should check on 'em, see if they're alright."

"They are not our concern." Eagle Flies replied as he indicated to a couple of his party members to head into the woods. "We have problems of our own."

This seemed more than a little cold for Sadie's liking. Even if, as Eagle Flies indicated, a couple of ill-advised city folk had moved out to the wilderness in search of a romantic fantasy of a life of self-sufficiency, it seemed more than a little callous to simply leave them to their fate. It had already clearly ended in the death of one of them, leaving them without any means seemed to be little better than shooting them themselves. Charles pointed to the train tracks nearby.

"Find somewhere to hide over there." He told her.

"I came to hunt, same as…"

"Trust me, you don't want to get in the way." Charles warned her as he prepared his bow. Sadie headed under the bridge, taking cover in the support struts and waited.

She heard some loud whooping and readied her gun. Soon, a herd of deer were flushed out of the woods by some of the Waipiti. Charles and the others came at them from the other side.

It was quite something to watch. Using the speed of their horses, they corralled the herd into circling around the clearing in the shallow waters. It looked like a chaotic scene at first, but quickly she could see the strategy behind it all. The Waipiti would ride around the herd, causing them to bolt in another direction, until they were circling around in the middle of the clearing. From there, she could see them starting to analyse the herd, looking for their chosen targets. They always looked for the strong, the mature, never the young and underdeveloped. Taking careful aim, one of them struck down his first kill, skilfully putting an arrow straight through its neck, bringing it down.

They picked out a second, bringing it to the ground with ease. They looked like they were getting ready to pick off a third when Eagle Flies called out to them, gesturing to the bank. Sadie could see a moose coming into view, no doubt looking to see what the commotion was to decide if it needed to flee. Eagle Flies went straight for it, his arrow nailing it right between the eyes before it realised the danger it was in. The Waipiti then broke the circle, allowing the herd to run off to safety.

She'd learned from Charles it was always their way never to hunt more than they could use. They believed very much in keeping a balance. The warriors dismounted and ran to their bounty as the rest of the herd fled, immediately getting to work.

She'd always been impressed with Pearson's skills as a butcher, but the Waipiti easily put him to shame. Within moments they were picking apart the carcasses, wasting virtually nothing. Skin, antlers, meat, even bone were all of use to the tribe. She came out of her spot in hiding, viewing their work with complete fascination. They did in seconds what she suspected trained butchers would be unable to do in an hour.

"Mrs Adler!" Eagle Flies called over as he sawed off the moose's antler, holding it aloft, showing off his trophy. Sadie rolled her eyes. His feat was pretty impressive, she couldn't deny that. Last time she'd tried to use a bow she was so far off target she was probably more in danger of hitting herself than anything else. She hated to admit that he had managed to pull off a very impressive hunt.

However, she suddenly tensed up as she saw a movement behind him. She snatched up her repeater, levelling it seemingly right at Eagle Flies. She could hear the others yelling, and some of them were pulling weapons on her, but she blocked it all out to concentrate on her shot. She pulled the trigger. Her repeater roared into life, but as the Waipiti were preparing to attack, they all snapped around as they heard a pained growl. All of them turned just in time to see a cougar tumbling out of the undergrowth.

Cougars were sneaky bastards, ambush predators that were deadly and could catch even the most seasoned hunters unaware. Arthur had once told Sadie he was nearly killed by one, and it was only the fact he was wearing a thick, winter coat meaning it caught his collar and not his neck that saved his life. The crafty old bastard had obviously caught sight of Eagle Flies occupied with his trophy and seen an easy meal. She walked over to it as the rest of the Waipiti watched, grabbing its head and lifting it up. Her shot had been picture perfect, straight down its open jaws and through the back of its head.

"I think I prefer my trophy." She taunted him. There was a moment of silence, and Eagle Flies' face was stony and stern. She wondered if she had angered him, humiliating him in front of the rest of his party. After a long moment though, he burst out laughing. The others followed suit. Much like the Van Der Linde Gang, their way of life carried many dangers, and instead of stewing on every near miss, they preferred to make light of it.

"We should return to the reservation." Eagle Flies stated. "We will eat well tonight."

As Sadie started cutting up the cougar, she couldn't help finding her gaze straying back to the house in the woods. As soon as she had finished taking what was hers, while the others were loading up the horses to head home, she wrapped some of the meat and walked over to the house. She left the meat on the porch, knocking on the door, and left before she got an answer. Just like the Waipiti, she didn't believe in waste.

That night, back at the reservation, there was something of a feast atmosphere. Not only had the hunt been a success, but they also had an exciting story to tell. Although Sadie could not understand their language, she could tell by the animated and excitable gesture that they were playing up the story for all it was worth. She was perfectly certain if she could understand what they were saying, the cougar would probably be the size of a bison with jaws that could swallow a man whole.

She laughed along as they re-told the tale for what must have been the fifth or sixth time. She looked over to where Eagle Flies was pointing to her, and started chanting something. Pretty soon everyone else was joining in, even Charles. After a few moments, Rains Fall held up his hands to silence them, before taking out a knife. He reached to his braided hair, to one of the many trinkets woven into it, and cutting it out. He handed it around towards her.

"Mrs Adler, my son has told me of your bravery. If that was all he told me, you would have the respect of my tribe." He told her. "But that you have ensured my son was returned to me safely, you have my gratitude also. Please, take this as a token of my gratitude."

The trinket finally came around to her, at which she finally got to look at it. It was a simple, but quite attractive item. She could feel the gaze of the tribe on her as she inspected it. She did think to refuse it, to remind Rains Fall that he had saved her life once before and that they were now even, but she quickly came to feel that there was much more to it than just a mere trinket. It was not just presented to her, but he had taken it from his own collection.

"Thank you." She said, accepting it gratefully. Charles took it from her.

"Here, let me help you with that." He told her as he started to weave it into her hair. She looked over to where Eagle Flies was sitting, holding up a cup. She lifted her own to accept the gesture. She had only been in Waipiti a single day, but already, she was starting to like it.


	38. Eagle Flies

In their cabin, Levin was writing furiously as Sadie continued to relay her story. He was thrilled about how forthcoming she was. The fact he was getting an inside account of life in the Van Der Linde Gang in its final days was something that had come completely out of the blue, but now, she was telling him about the Waipiti Reservation. The Waipiti had long since left the reservation, and no one really knew where they went. There were newspaper stories from their final days on the reservation of course, but Levin as a writer knew that even those that were meant to write "the truth" had wildly different ideas about what the truth really was.

The fact is with the exception of a few high-profile incidents that hit the papers; no one really knew what happened in Waipiti. He could sense though a lifting in her spirits when she talked about her time there. She pulled her hair forward, and sure enough the trinket she had been given by Rains Fall was still there, all this time later.

"You speak very fondly of your time on the reservation." He commented. She smiled and nodded.

"It were nice for the most part." Sadie told him as she thought about it. "The people, they was...they was good folk. They just wanted a home, somewhere they could live and work and make a life for themselves. I'd seen 'em pass through the ranch a few times but, well, I guess seein' 'em up close I just got to see a lot more than I really expected to."

She adjusted her position on her seat a little as she looked to Levin.

"You know, I were real happy on that homestead. Jake and I, we both were. But bein' on that Reservation, seein' them up close, I got to realise that for all our differences were really weren't so different. Sure, they might have dressed different and talked different and believed different but the important stuff? Makin' a home for their families? Feedin' them? Livin' in peace the way they wanted? That were all the same."

Levin popped another candy into his mouth to soothe his stomach as she looked out the window.

"The problem was, other people didn't feel the same way." She told him.

Back in the past, on the Waipiti Reservation, Sadie continued to enjoy the hospitality of the tribe. She'd gone with Charles as a way to get out of the camp, to get away from the ever-growing rift between Arthur and Dutch. She'd seen them have arguments and differences of opinion before, but this time it felt different. It was something that was felt throughout the whole camp. People were already starting to cast their minds to whether they would follow Dutch, follow Arthur, or even if they wanted to stay at all. There was a kind of deadlock where people were trying to figure out what they would do if they had to, while still hoping that the situation was going to just blow over and everything would go back to normal. For her, she just wanted to get the hell out for a bit, keep her mind on Colm's execution, which would no doubt be scheduled for any day now.

Life on the Reservation was relatively peaceful. The isolation of the camp was such that it had a certain feeling of her old home in the mountains. The kids would spend their days running around, playing and getting used to the land, up until the adults in the camp decided it was time for them to start learning the skills they would need to survive. The kids learned quickly, they had to. Most of them would be required to bring in their fair share by the time they were in their teens.

There were a lot of pastimes in the Reservation, most of which were ways of teaching them the skills they would need. They would wrestle, as much as it could be called wrestling, learning how to defend themselves should they be caught without a weapon. They were taught how to string and use a bow early on, and others were taught to use guns too. The one that caught her attention though was throwing.

Sadie was a skilled hunter, but had grown up well within the age of firearms being the preferred method of hunting. A good rifle was by far the most efficient method of bringing down even the largest of game. She had seen members of the gang throwing knives; she'd even seen Charles and Arthur using tomahawks, though for the most part she had largely not paid it much mind. However, here she was seeing kids that didn't even look to be ten years old throwing with deadly skill, practicing on targets for hours at a time. It was made into a game, the younger tribe members competing for bragging rights, while those that were a little older were exchanging wagers.

She watched for a couple of days, before finally succumbing to her curiosity and joining in. It was a lot harder than she had expected. Charles, Eagle Flies and Paytah had taken it upon themselves to teach her, figuring that she might take it personally if they asked her to learn with the children.

"Son of a bitch!" She snarled as her knife rebounded off the board, having hit it side-on, while other tribe members laughed. She walked over, picking it up, before heading back to the mark. Charles decided to step up and show her how it was done.

"No, you're thinking about it too much." He told her. "Look, it's just a nice, smooth motion. Don't think about your hand, your body knows where it is. Just pull it back past your ear, keep your eye on the target, and one smooth arc and..."

He threw the knife, which spun through the air, slamming into the centre of the target. Charles was good, scarily good at that. She'd heard he once saved Arthur with a throwing knife back in Rhodes. Seeing this, she could believe it. Sadie stepped up, ready to throw again, at which Charles stood by her.

"Now, get yourself into a good stance." He told her, standing close, moving her feet with his own into position. "That's good. Now, don't look at me, look at the target. Now, just like I said, take this hand, and bring it past your ear."

He reached around her, taking her arm in his hand and guiding it. Sadie let him guide her as he did so.

"Just keep your eye on the target; your body will do the rest." He told her. "Just breathe in, hold it, then a nice smooth motion like this and breathe out as you do."

He guided her through the motion a couple of times to get her used to it.

"In as you draw back, breath out as you throw." He told her, before releasing. "Alright, now...try again!"

Sadie breathed in, before drawing back her arm, then with her whole body, brought her arm forward, releasing the knife, which spun through the air. The knife sunk into a target. Charles nodded in approval.

"Not bad." He said with an approving tone.

"Just a shame I were aimin' for that target." She responded, pointing to a target to the right of the one she hit. He just shrugged.

"No one's perfect." He told her. "That's why we practice. Paytah! You're up!"

Paytah stepped up to position. As he started throwing knives, Sadie saw a wagon rolling up, accompanied by a man in a military uniform on a horse. She looked at him curiously as he came riding past, accompanying the wagon.

"Who's that?" Sadie asked.

"Captain Monroe." Charles told her. "He's a liaison between the Government and the tribe. He's the one that's meant to make life on the Reservation easier."

"Meant to keep an eye on us you mean." Eagle Flies snorted in derision.

"Eagle Flies, he's a friend, he means well." Charles told him.

"Where have I heard that before?" Eagle Flies replied bitterly. Sadie watched as Captain Monroe was greeted warmly by Rains Fall, before helping to unload goods from the wagon.

"He seems friendly enough." Sadie said, watching him help distribute goods. "I mean, look, he brought all that..."

"You think those are gifts?" Eagle Flies interrupted her, his frustration clear in his tone. "The Government has already broken treaties with us. They tell us they will give us land, as though it is theirs to give, then when it turns out that land is too desirable, they tell us we must move. These supplies are nothing but a way to appease us for moving us to land that we can grow nothing on."

"I know you're angry, but lashing out at Monroe is not going to make things any better." Charles told him. "He's one of the ones trying to help."

"We don't want to be fed like children." Eagle Flies told him. "If I was Chief, I'd tell him to take that wagon back where it came from."

Sadie just backed off as they talked. The argument had effectively ended the game. She could always practice again another time. She noticed that the conversation between Rains Fall and Captain Monroe took a turn. Monroe looked almost apologetic as he spoke with him. She headed over.

"I'm sorry, I...I...I don't know what's happened to them." Monroe stammered.

"Your Colonel Favours was meant to deliver us medicines." Rains Fall told him.

"Believe me, he is not 'my' Colonel Favours by any stretch of the imagination." Monroe told him.

"Your Government promised us medicines. Our people grow sick." Rains Fall responded with a patient tone, though one that still reflected his frustration and disappointment. Sadie had indeed seen that there was sickness in the Reservation. Smallpox had broken out in the area, and though she and Charles were safe, having been vaccinated, many of the Native tribes did not get vaccinated since they either lived outside or were simply unwelcome in many settlements.

"I know, and I promise, I'm going to head straight to the fort and demand to know where the vaccines have gone." Monroe assured him. "I was promised by my superiors in Government that they would send those medicines and I for one want to know why they're not here. In the meantime, I have this delivery..."

"Your deliveries are also lacking." Rains Fall interrupted him, sounding more like he was disappointed than angry. "There is less than half the dried beef we were promised. There is no bread, fishhooks? Can our people eat fishhooks?"

"I can spend some time teaching your people to fish..."

"I know this is not your doing my friend, but these supplies...we were promised at least twice what you have delivered." He reminded him. Monroe just sighed and nodded.

"I know, and believe me, I am as furious about this as you are." Monroe told him. "I'm sorry. I'll speak to Colonel Favours."

With that, he headed back to his horse and mounted it. At his order, his companions followed him back out of the reservation. Sadie just watched Rains Fall shuffling back to his tent to rest. She wanted to follow him, to see if there was something to do to help, but she was interrupted as a cry went up.

"Sadie!" Charles called to her. "A herd of deer, a big one, sighted not far from here!" Charles told her. "We have to go, now!"

Sadie didn't need to be told twice. She ran for her horse, mounting up and grabbing a rifle as they rode out at break neck speed. She could see that Eagle Flies was riding far ahead of the others, eager for the hunt. She couldn't blame him for wanting to let off some steam.

Sadie had been on a couple of hunts with them now. She still felt that finding somewhere to take a shot from was a much simpler option, but with the tribe being kind enough to take her with them, she was eager to at least give their ways a try. She had observed how they herded and corralled the herds in order to find one or two to bring down. At the very least she could help with the roundup while someone else prepared a shot. However, when they got to the plains, they were a little startled by what they found.

They arrived to find some deer lying, dead, rotting away in the sun. The rest of the herd had moved on, but there had to be at least a dozen deer, shot and left for the crows. Sadie and Charles dismounted, coming to his side as he inspected the kill.

"Rifles." He declared, inspecting the wounds.

"Looks that way." Charles replied with a venomous tone in his voice. Sadie knew he hated to see people hunt recklessly. Arthur had told her that once he had taken him to hunt Bison and watched him gun down a poacher without even blinking for shooting them and leaving them to rot. "They haven't even tried to butcher them. This was senseless. These poor creatures died for no reason."

Sadie had to agree. Even without knowing the situation with the supply wagon, she knew that meat could have done the tribe a lot of good. This slaughter though was just senseless. Not only were the deer they shot now worthless, having been left out for hours in the hot sun, but the rest of the herd would have moved on, fled from the hunters. Eagle Flies stood up.

"Come, there's nothing here now." He told them. "If we move quickly we can perhaps get to..."

"Hold it right there!" They heard someone call out. There was a storm of hooves, and the tribe watched as cavalry rode into view, beginning to surround them. Sadie was lifting her rifle instinctively, but Charles grabbed it, shoving it down. Taking a second look, Sadie thought perhaps he had just saved her life. The soldiers outnumbered and outgunned their hunting party significantly. "Well, well, well...what do we have here?"

"Do we have a problem Sergeant?" Charles asked the soldier who addressed them. Sadie took a look around. The soldiers were young, barely more than boys, most likely raw recruits. The Sergeant looked like he was younger than her. He looked down on them and spat at Eagle Flies' feet, much to his annoyance.

"I'll say we have a problem." He stated. "You're trespassing."

"Trespassing?" Sadie asked. "There ain't no one owns these lands?"

"It's trespassing when you bring a war party down here against the terms of the treaty." The Sergeant responded, gesturing around.

"This ain't a war party, it's a hunting party!" Eagle Flies snapped at him.

"Hunting what? There's no game here!" The Sergeant sneered in response to a chorus of laughter from the men. Sadie couldn't help noticing the bolt-action rifle in his hand. The others also seemed to be carrying them. They could very well have caused the wounds they had seen on the deer they had found. It seemed like more than a little bit of a coincidence that they had shown up shortly after all the game had been driven off.

"Well, now we've established that, we'll be on our way." Charles told him, gesturing to Eagle Flies, who was growing noticeably more tense as time went on. His gaze was burning straight through the Sergeant.

"Not so fast." The Sergeant declared, considering them for a moment. "Confiscate the horses!"

"What?" Eagle Flies yelled as Charles tried to restrain him. There was some jostling as soldiers started pulling the rest of the hunting party off their horses. "You can't do that!"

"You brought a war party past the border." He replied. "If I were you, I'd consider myself lucky I'm not giving the order to..."

He stopped though as Sadie caught a glimpse out the corner of her eye of one of the soldiers going for her horse. As he grabbed the reins, she snatched up the rifle, smashing him straight in the face with the butt, before covering him with it. The soldiers all started to prepare their weapons, while Charles called out for peace.

"ENOUGH!" He called out. One of the soldiers went to check on his comrade, who Sadie was still covering.

"God Damn, the crazy bitch just knocked Jacobson's teeth out!" He stated.

"He'll lose his brains too if he touches my damn horse again!" Sadie warned him.

"Your horse?" The Sergeant asked her. Sadie felt Charles' hand on her shoulder and looked to see all the guns pointed her way. She finally relented what was clearly a fruitless battle. She pointed her rifle upwards, looking straight at The Sergeant.

"That's right, MY horse!" She told him.

"You got papers for it?" He asked. Sadie just spat on the ground near his horse.

"You always carry around the papers for your horse?" She asked him. "No, I ain't got no damn papers on me!"

This was partly true. She didn't have any papers on her, but that was because she didn't have any papers at all. Like the rest of the gang, her horse was stolen. Of course, she wasn't going to admit that in front of the damn army! More soldiers arrived, led by an older man. If his highly decorated uniform didn't indicate he was an officer, the fact that everyone suddenly started saluting sure as hell did.

"What the devil is going on here?" The officer demanded. The Sergeant saluted quickly.

"Colonel Favours sir! We found this war party beyond our border!" The Sergeant told him. "We were going to confiscate their horses and send them on their way."

"They're no war party, they're a hunting party!" Charles yelled. Colonel Favours took a long, judgemental look at the men.

"Hunting what?" He asked. "There's no game here."

"Not anymore there ain't." Sadie responded. That was when Colonel Favours noticed one of his men on the ground, blood staining his uniform, covering his face. His face became stony and he lost all pretence of humour.

"Who assaulted this man?" He demanded.

"I did!" Sadie told him. "Your 'man', and I use the term loosely, were tryin' to steal my horse!"

"We were confiscating them." The Sergeant stated.

"It's my damn horse!" She yelled. Colonel Favours looked to the scene. He clearly had the advantage. He had the men and the guns to make this a very short and pointless confrontation. He got down off his horse and strode over to the injured man, offering him a hand and pulling him up.

"On your feet soldier!" He chastised him openly. "Do you really want me to report you were trying to take a horse from a woman, who is clearly not one of these savages and she knocked your teeth out?"

"Sir, no sir!" The soldier declared, spluttering blood as he did. Favours just gestured to his men to help him.

"You there!" Favours called out, pointing to Charles. "Which of these horses is yours?"

"That one." Charles said, pointing to his Appaloosa. Favours just nodded.

"Confiscate the rest." He barked, looking to Eagle Flies. "You're lucky I'm a patient man."

Eagle Flies tensed his grip on his tomahawk. Charles just grabbed his hand and said something to him in his native tongue, calling for him to stand easy. The soldiers rounded up the horses and rode off, leaving them in the plains. Eagle Flies turned to Charles.

"You let him take our horses!" Eagle Flies yelled at him.

"I didn't 'let' him take anything, he was taking them regardless!" Charles said. "You would have fought very bravely and died very quickly."

"Now they have our horses! Without them we can't hunt!" Eagle Flies pointed out. "If we can't hunt, we'll starve!"

"You can get new horses!" Charles snapped. "I'll help you catch some!"

"No, this is an act of war!" Eagle Flies yelled at him. "They've gone too far! I'm going to get our horses back right now!"

"WAIT!" Charles called after him. He took a deep breath. "Come with me. I'll take you to Arthur. He helped you before, remember?"

"Fine, we'll go with you." Eagle Flies replied. "Maybe we'll find some horses on the way."

"They're in Beaver Hollow." Charles told them. He looked to Sadie. "Go back to the Reservation. We'll meet you there."

"Charles..."

"Please, just...go wait at the Reservation." Charles pleaded with her. "I'll go with them. Maybe between Arthur and I, we can stop them doing something that'll get them all killed."

Eagle Flies took Paytah and went with Charles, while Sadie and the rest of the party headed on the long journey back to the Reservation. Sadie had no idea what Charles had planned, she just hoped that he could get Eagle Flies to see sense, or at very least, not get himself killed too.


	39. Double Dutch

It took quite a while to get back to Waipiti without enough horses to carry the whole hunting party. They managed to capture a couple on the way, but they had to make do travelling at the pace of those that were walking. They ended up having to camp overnight on the way, and so by the time they had gotten back there was already a bit of a stir within the camp.

The members of the hunting party were greeted eagerly by their loved ones, but Sadie could see that Rains Fall was concerned. Getting off her horse and hitching it up near her tent, she went over to him.

"I'm sorry we're late." She told him. "We got to the plains and some soldiers came. Some asshole named Colonel Favours said we brought a war party over the border. They took the horses."

"When you didn't return I feared something had happened." He told her. She could see him looking around at the party, no doubt for signs of his son. She looked to him regretfully.

"Eagle Flies were real pissed. Said he were goin' to go get the horses back." Sadie informed him. "He went to go find my friend Arthur…"

"Yes, Arthur. We have met, he helped us before." Rains Fall told her.

"If anyone can help him get the horses back…"

"I'm hoping that Arthur and Charles can convince them to leave it be." Rains Fall told her. Sadie looked a little surprised to hear him say this.

"But they're your horses." She stated.

"And before we took them they were free horses." Rains Fall reasoned. "They are just horses, no more no less. We will no doubt find other horses. They are not the first and they will not be the last we tame."

"But they just took…"

"Colonel Favours is a brutish and foolish old man, one who seeks a battle because he thinks it will bring him glory, and if he can't find one, he wishes to start one." Rains Fall explained sagely. "He has curtailed and harassed our people in the hopes of sparking a fight we cannot win. Even if by some miracle we were to defeat this Colonel Favours, the Government would only send more soldiers."

"So you're just gonna let him take whatever he wants and not do anythin'?" She asked him. He just shook his head.

"I was a young and angry man who fought at the smallest of transgressions." He told her as he guided her towards the fire, beckoning her to sit. It seemed a little strange to her that she was trying to reassure him, yet somehow she felt like he was the one trying to soothe her. "All it brought was pain and death. I do not wish to see my people slaughtered over something as trivial as a few horses. Your friend Charles has promised me he would try to keep my son from fighting. I only hope your friend Arthur will do the same."

"One of them soldiers tried to take my horse and I knocked out his teeth." Sadie responded. He just laughed a little.

"Yes, but I have a feeling if one of my people did the same the response would be very different." He answered. "If you want to know why, you only need a mirror."

With that, he headed for his tent.

"Now, I'm afraid this old body needs more rest than it used to." He told her. "Tell me when there is word of my son."

With that, he headed into the tent. Sadie still didn't understand why Rains Fall was so calm about what had happened. In her experience letting someone take what belonged to you without doing something in response was just an invitation for it to keep happening. It was the reason she was hoping soon she'd hear about Colm.

The following morning, Sadie was wakened by the sound of hooves and a lot of cheering and whooping. She rubbed her eyes wearily and stumbled from her tent to see Eagle Flies riding back into the camp with Paytah, accompanied by the stolen horses. She could see Charles was with them, looking somewhat put out, but more than that, he looked angry. She did see one other person though, but it wasn't Arthur. It was someone she didn't expect to see at the Reservation. Dutch was riding with them, rearing The Count as the tribe flocked around them to hear of their exploits and how they had recovered their horses.

"My good people, have no fear, we have dealt with the men who did you wrong and returned to you what is rightfully yours!" Dutch declared in his usual, fatherly tone. Sadie saw Rains Fall coming out of his tent, looking dismayed. He was staring at his son in disbelief and horror.

"Father! Look, a new friend has helped us regain what is ours!" Eagle Flies called out to some loud yelling and whooping as he leapt off his horse to come to his father. Rains Fall just looked to him and shook his head.

"What have you done?" He asked him.

"I have brought back the horses those men stole from us!" He told him.

"But at what cost?" Rains Fall asked him. "How many men lost their lives over horses? What will happen when Favours seeks revenge for the men he has lost?"

"Good sir, you have my personal assurance, we were very careful to be discrete." Dutch said as he slid into the conversation. "My name is Dutch Van Der Linde, and I heard of your plight and was compelled…"

"I have heard your name Mr Van Der Linde." Rains Fall stated. "I appreciate your intention, but I would prefer in future if you would not involve yourself in matters that are not your own."

"Father, he helped us when others would not!" Eagle Flies spat angrily, glaring at Charles. "If it was up to you, we would do nothing while Favours takes everything we have."

"I assure you, no one saw us take the horses." Dutch responded.

"Do you think that will matter to a man like Favours?" Rains Fall asked. He just looked to his son. "I only hope your rash and foolish ways have not brought more suffering our way."

As he stormed off, Sadie didn't know where to look. She did, however, catch sight of Dutch looking her way, noticing her standing there. They locked eyes for a moment, and she wondered what he was thinking. He just seemed to stare through her, as though trying to figure out what she was doing here, so far from the camp. Eagle Flies eventually looked to Dutch.

"I am sorry, my father is old and believes weakness is wisdom." Eagle Flies stated. "Come, Mr Van Der Linde, I must repay you for what you have done."

"Believe me son, the opportunity to help was payment enough." Dutch told him. "But if you happen to have a pipe that I could have…"

"If I do not have one to hand, I can certainly have one made." Eagle Flies declared cheerfully. "Now come, at least join me for a drink."

"Now that is something I think we can all get on board with!" Dutch cackled as he followed Eagle Flies and a large group of his followers to another part of the camp. Sadie went to Charles as he watched them go, shaking his head.

"What the hell is Dutch doin' with Eagle Flies?" Sadie asked him.

"Same thing he always does." Charles grumbled. "Take an angry young man and fan the flames. Arthur and I tried to convince him to leave it alone and then Dutch gets involved and before I know it, we're all on some sinking ship off the coast of Van Horn guiding the horses back to shore."

"Dutch don't have a lot of luck with ships does he?" Sadie commented. A little while later, Arthur arrived. He didn't seem to register that they were there. As he got off his horse, he started coughing, doubling over, steadying himself against his horse. He straightened himself out before heading to Rains Fall's tent.

"What's Arthur doin'?" She asked.

"I asked him to speak to Rains Fall, to see if he can help." Charles told her. "I'm hoping that if there are some cooler heads perhaps we can stop this becoming a massacre."

"You want a cooler head and you asked Arthur?" She joked. Charles didn't laugh though.

"I really just want to stop this all getting out of hand." Charles told her. She looked to Charles.

"Say, do you notice somethin' different about Arthur?" She asked him.

"Now that you mention it, he hasn't quite been the same since he got back from Guarma." Charles admitted. "I don't know, but something just seems…different."

Just then, Arthur and Rains Fall emerged from the tent, mounting up before heading up into the mountains.

"Where are they headin' now?" She asked him.

"Rains Fall has a sacred place up on the mountains, a place where he goes to pray." Charles informed her. "It's a quiet spot, somewhere they can talk in peace."

"You really think Favours will come lookin' for the horses?" Sadie asked him. He just shrugged.

"If it wasn't the horses it'd be something else." Charles replied honestly. "I only hope he's ignorant enough not to tell one horse from another."

"Charles! Sadie!" Dutch called from the other side of the Reservation, before gesturing them over. They both just headed over.

The night wore on, and the tribe recanted the tale of Eagle Flies' raid over and over. Each time, the tale became more and more animated. Even without speaking their language, even without being able to tell the story got longer and more animated with each telling, the look in Charles' face let her know that the truth of the tale had been lost long before, and the tale was now just becoming as grand a work of fiction as any of the story books Jake used to love reading, or any of Jack's Penny Dreadfuls.

"Here." Charles said, offering her a blanket. "It's getting cold."

Sadie took the blanket, but she could see Dutch looking her way. Even when he was talking with the other Natives, or exchanging stories with Eagle Flies, he still kept looking back to her. It was a little unsettling. She couldn't tell if he had anything to say to her. If felt like he did. The way he looked at her at first had been surprise that he saw her there, but now she almost felt like it was something else. Perhaps judgement, or maybe even disappointment?

"Sadie, is everything alright?" Charles asked as she got up.

"Nothin', just…goin' for a little walk." Sadie told him. She headed off a little way to get some space to try and think.

She got to the edge of a ridge, looking out over the land before her. She did like it here, the still and the peace was something that she wished she could get more often. It had been so long since she'd known anything like that, she was starting to doubt it even existed in the world. She stared out into the night, completely unaware as Dutch walked up behind her.

"So, this is where you've been." Dutch greeted her. "I must say, I was starting to wonder where you'd got to."

"I…I just wanted a little…"

"I must say, I was a little surprised. I'd have thought you'd want to stick close." Dutch said to her. "I was actually looking for you, but no one in camp knew where you went."

"You were lookin' for me?" She asked him curiously.

"There have been a couple of interesting developments."

"Developments?" She asked him. Dutch lit up a cigar, taking a couple of puffs.

"Cornwall is dead." Dutch informed her casually. Sadie was shocked to hear that. She'd never actually met Leviticus Cornwall, but his name had been something of a bane of the gang's existence since they left Colter. After robbing his train, Cornwall had been paying through the nose for the full strength of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. He was the reason that Milton and Ross had chased them from one territory to the next. He was the reason they seemed to have virtually limitless resources at their disposal. Cornwall's pockets were just as deep as his hatred of anyone who got in the way of his business, perhaps more so. "Micah, Arthur and I decided to pay him a little social call. Long story short, no more Cornwall, no more money for the Pinkertons."

Sadie didn't know what to think. Was it true? Would the Pinkertons finally be off their back now they didn't have Cornwall's money? Sure, it would mean they'd have a lot less of a backing but the Van Der Linde Gang already had pretty sizeable bounties on their heads. Even "Kid Van Der Linde" was worth about two hundred dollars in some parts of the state. Bringing them in would be a sizeable pay day in and of itself. Still, if they weren't getting their expenses covered, if they'd have to finance their hunt out of their own pockets, then perhaps it would encourage them to seek easier targets. But would it? She didn't know enough about Ross to know if he was the kind of person that took things personally, but Milton was a dogged and ruthless son of a bitch.

"Cornwall's gone?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"He is, and we're already looking to the score that'll get us out of this God Forsaken country for good."

"Sounds good." Sadie said with a cold tone in her voice. "Just as soon as we fix the O'Driscolls, right?"

"That is exactly right Mrs Adler." Dutch told her with a smile. He leant in close to her. "That's exactly why I was looking for you. You'll never guess what tomorrow is."

He handed her a newspaper clipping. Sadie held it in her hands, reading it in the moonlight. Her hands quivered as she saw the headline. There it was in black and white, Colm O'Driscoll, the infamous head of the O'Driscoll gang, possibly the only person in the territory with a price on his head higher than the man standing right next to her was scheduled to hang in Saint Denis square.

"Tomorrow?" She asked, her voice barely carrying on the evening breeze. This had been one of the things she'd been waiting for. She had never met Colm, she had never even seen him anywhere other than in newspapers and on wanted posters, but the gang that carried his name were the ones that took everything from her. The man that still occupied most of her waking thoughts, Tom, was Colm's right-hand man. Sadie would gladly go through the whole gang, the Pinkertons, the armies of Hell and pretty much anyone else dumb enough to get between her and Tom, but as long as the O'Driscolls were around, Tom always eluded her.

"When Colm swings, someone will need to take over the gang from him." Dutch reminded her, bringing to mind the exact thoughts that had been going through her head ever since it was announced Colm had been arrested. If Colm was killed, the most likely candidate to succeed him would be Tom. It was all stripping away the obstacles that kept him from her. "Just as I promised you Mrs Adler, you get first refusal to ride with me."

"Sadie!" Charles called out, causing them both to look around. Charles stood, observing the scene between them. He looked tense, as tense as Sadie had ever seen him. Dutch just let out a small laugh and took a draw on his cigar.

"I have a long journey ahead of me." Dutch said as he walked towards the horses. Charles seemed to stand between Dutch and the horses, refusing to move. Sadie watched as the two men glared at each other. The whole scene felt like it was just waiting for the slightest provocation to set it off. Like some of the others, Charles had voiced some concerns about Dutch, but she had never seen him outright confront him before. After a long, silent moment that felt like a year, Dutch just stepped around Charles and headed for The Count, mounting up. He spurred on his horse, riding away at top speed. Charles switched his gaze to Sadie, but his demeanour noticeably softened. It wasn't often she couldn't look a man in the eye, but she found herself looking away as she started to make her way towards her horse.

"Sadie…"

"I don't want to hear it Charles." She told him.

"Well, you're going to hear it!" He yelled at her. "Colm O'Driscoll is going to get what's coming to him!"

"Yeah, and I'm gonna make sure of it!" She responded.

"What'll that accomplish other than risking your neck too?" Charles asked her. "Sadie, it's a hanging! There'll be police all over that square, it's insane!"

"He's already escaped the gallows twice!" She reminded him. "I'm gonna make sure he swings or he eats lead…"

"And what'll that achieve?" He asked her.

"It'll settle what he owes for what happened to…"

"He wasn't even AT your homestead!" He interrupted her sharply. This startled her a little. She would have thought Charles would understand why she wanted to see him hang. "Most of the men that did those things to you are already dead. Colm has murdered and he's tortured and he's raped and robbed and done a million other horrible things, but what happened to your husband ain't one of them!"

"No, but he's standin' between me and the man who did!" Sadie told him. She could feel that Charles was trying to reason with her, trying to quell her rage, but there was just so much in her, so much that at times she wasn't sure there was anything else left but the rage inside her.

"Sadie, don't do this." Charles reiterated.

"Charles, there ain't a man alive that can tell me what to do!" She responded.

"I'm not telling you, I'm…I'm…begging you." Charles said, his voice breaking a little. "Sadie, please, no good will come of this."

"That son of a bitch…"

"That son of a bitch has hurt more people than possibly any of us, and whatever his end is, he has it coming more than most." Charles shot back. "But there's no reason to risk yourself or…or lose yourself in the process. Sadie, please…"

"Charles…I…" She still couldn't bring herself to look at him as she swung herself onto her horse. Charles stood before her.

"Sadie, please, you're better than this!" Charles told her. She just sighed.

"Well, maybe I just ain't who you thought I was." She suggested, before spurring on her horse and riding away. As she left Waipiti, galloping down the rocky trail, she could hear Charles still calling after her. She daren't look back. This was what she had wanted for longer than she could recall. Everything she had done, every law she had broken, every robbery, every murder, every O'Driscoll killed was just a step on her journey to find Tom and finally settle things with him. She couldn't let anyone or anything try and dissuade her now, not when she was so close.

She got some way down the trail, before she found Dutch waiting on the road. He smiled at her as he saw her.

"What took you so long, Mrs Adler?" He asked her. "Second thoughts?"

She tightened her grip on the reins, and shook her head. She couldn't even bring herself to say the words. Charles voice was still in her head, begging her to reconsider, but she couldn't allow herself to be swayed now. She looked Dutch straight in the eyes with a steely determination.

"I thought not." He replied, before they both turned and galloped as fast as they could toward Saint Denis, and God willing, Colm O'Driscoll's last day on Earth.


	40. Goodbye, Dear Friend

Dutch and Sadie got into Saint Denis in the early morning to prepare for the day ahead. The city was abuzz with excitement. The infamous Colm O'Driscoll, the most wanted man in the territory, the man no one could hang, was finally going to meet his end. Newspapers were selling by the bundle; people were talking all over the city. There were even people taking wagers on whether his neck would break, or whether he would once again find a way to elude justice.

Dutch and Sadie for the most part ignored all of this, as difficult as it was. Even despite the numerous distractions of Saint Denis, whether it was the theatres, the magic lantern shows or the gambling houses, the one thing on everyone's lips was Colm O'Driscoll. Some of the people of Saint Denis had been victims of his brutality. Some were just fanatical about justice. Other…others just loved a good hanging. For Dutch and Sadie though, the only thing that mattered was making sure that by the end of the day, Colm was dead.

Sadie had considered that if they wanted to make sure, then finding a good spot to set up with a rifle and shoot him as soon as he stepped on the gallows was as good a way as any to ensure he was dead. However, both she and Dutch wanted him to see it coming. They wanted him to know he was meeting his maker. Dutch genuinely loathed the man with a passion that could only be described as insane. Colm had murdered the love of Dutch's life, something that Sadie could understand all too well. Dutch would probably put his own head in a noose and let the hangman have him too if he could get to see Colm drop first to make sure he was dead.

They had some preparations to do first. Sadie didn't have the same problem as Dutch, no one really knew what "Kid Van Der Linde" really looked like under his mask, but Dutch's face was on almost as many wanted posters as Colm's, and the rivalry between the O'Driscolls and the Van Der Lindes was well known. Although it was a huge risk, Dutch had factored in the possibility that the law would suspect he might want to see Colm die and come to the city.

They hitched up their horses outside the market and headed inside. They pushed through the crowd, most of whom were talking with some excitement about the hanging. It allowed Sadie and Dutch to slip past and head into a non-descript door into the local fence.

"Ah, Mr Van Der Linde, I was starting to wonder if you were coming." The Fence greeted him. Dutch just smiled.

"I would not miss this for all the gold in the world." Dutch assured him. "Did you get what I asked for?"

"Ah, it's funny you should ask about gold." The Fence said rather unsubtly. Sadie watched as Dutch went into his bag and fetched out a sizeable gold bar, placing it on the counter. No one knew how much Dutch really had in his 'Taihiti fund', and Sadie didn't claim to know a whole lot about how much gold was worth, but she knew enough to know that a small amount, even a few pounds, was enough to change a life. The gold bar Dutch was handing over was easily enough for a man to retire on. That he would hand over something so valuable so easily was a testament to his hatred for Colm. The fence started to inspect it.

"Please, don't insult me!" Dutch snapped at him. "Did you get what I asked for?"

"It wasn't easy, but yes, I got what you were looking for." He replied, pulling a bag out from under the counter. Dutch looked into it and smiled. He pulled out a cap that Sadie recognised as part of the Saint Denis police uniform. "It was difficult to find someone willing to sell me what you were looking for, but for what you promised me, I put in a little more effort. I thought you might appreciate the choice between a constable and an officer."

"I never doubted you for a moment." Dutch said, shaking his hand. "Well, that's my outfit seen to, now we just need to do something about yours, Mrs Adler."

"My outfit?" She asked him. "What the hell is wrong with my outfit?"

"Trust me, it's all part of the plan." Dutch assured her as they left.

A couple of hours later, they made their way to Doyle's Tavern to wait until the hanging. It was scheduled for early afternoon, allowing those who had to work and so had to miss the event itself to be able to stop by on their way home from work and see Colm's corpse swinging from the gallows before it had to be cut down and given to the undertaker. It gave them a little time to kill, and some time for a drink after stopping by a dressmaker. If it wasn't for how much Dutch was focused on the task at hand, Sadie would have thought his insistence on buying her a dress from one of the finest dressmakers in Saint Denis was a joke at her expense. She had never asked to be treated like a 'lady' in all the time she rode with the gang. If anything since she started pulling jobs with them, she wanted to be seen as one of the guys, but Dutch wanted them to blend in as much as possible, and the fact was that ladies of High Society loved to see a man die just as much as the lowliest stable hand.

"I still can't believe you made me go through that." She grumbled as she ordered another beer. "I swear, that is the longest I've ever stood still in my entire life!"

"Mrs Adler, I do not doubt that for a moment." Dutch said with stony resolve. She was half-expecting a laugh, a chuckle, perhaps even a little smirk from him, but his thoughts were only on Colm. If he was amused by how uncomfortable she was, standing as the dressmaker measured her, making adjustments, pinning, cutting and stitching the dress then he wasn't showing it here. "For what it's worth, it suits you."

"You have a second uniform, why couldn't I just wear that if you were so worried?" She asked him.

"Because you'd probably be the smallest police officer in the entire Saint Denis Police Department if you did." He told her. "The objective is for us to blend in, not to draw attention to ourselves. If we do things right, no one but Colm will ever know we were here, and that ain't gonna matter for long is it?"

He looked to Sadie as she leant on the bar, chugging on the beer.

"But if you want to keep up the illusion, you might want to work on that little walk of yours." He told her.

"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked him.

"Mrs Adler, we are going for a certain illusion here." Dutch reminded her. "Looking like a lady won't help us if you're not going to act like one."

"Don't you worry about me." Sadie responded sharply. She was not fond of the plan, or the dress, but she was willing to do virtually anything if it got her closer to avenging her husband. She would probably shoot her way through the entire State if she had to, so all things considered, wearing a dress for a couple of hours didn't seem like such a bad price to pay. Something caught Dutch's attention, and he looked away from her. Sadie followed his gaze, only then noticing that Arthur had walked into the tavern, looking for them.

"There you are." Dutch greeted him with a cock-sure tone in his voice. Sadie hadn't seen him speak to Arthur since the jail break. She hadn't been at the camp, so she didn't know for sure if they had spoken since, but she didn't get the impression from the look on Arthur's face that things had defrosted much between them. She didn't know if Dutch had told him to meet them at Doyle's, if Charles had asked him to come and try to convince her to leave before the hanging, or if he had simply heard the news and come to town looking for them himself. Frankly any of those was possible.

"Here I am." Arthur responded abruptly. His tone very quickly gave her the impression he wasn't here because he thought it was a good idea. It was more like he didn't really feel like he had much of an option. Dutch, however, didn't seem to care much for Arthur's feelings on the subject.

"Come on, let's go." Dutch instructed them. It was almost like he was waiting for Arthur to show up. Like that was just what he was waiting on to proceed with the plan, even if it couldn't be clearer Arthur had no desire at all to be there.

"Let's go where?" Arthur asked, before turning his attention to Sadie. "And why are you so riled up?"

"Today is a great day, Arthur." Dutch proclaimed. "Today is the day they are going to hang Colm O'Driscoll."

"That so?" He asked in sarcastic tone.

"Either they hang him, or I shoot him!" Sadie answered as she finished her beer.

"Oh, they are going to hang him." Dutch said as he gestured them all towards the back of the bar. Doyle's had a somewhat…colourful clientele to put it mildly. The proprietor often let people use his back rooms for some privacy and never really asked or cared what they did there. As long as people had the courtesy to buy drinks and food, he wasn't one to pry into exactly what they did in the back.

"Not before time." Sadie agreed as she went with him. Arthur followed them.

"That boy's been on the gallows more than most. I wouldn't count anything until his neck is broke." Arthur replied.

"Well, nor would I, which is why, despite us being wanted men, we're gonna attend the event ourselves." Dutch informed him as he shoved Sadie into the back room, along with the package containing the dress. Sadie could hear them both bickering as she got changed. The two men were clearly no closer to resolving their differences than they had been when she left the camp, but for now, all she cared about was that she had two of the best guns in the territory by her side to make sure Colm O'Driscoll died.

A little while later, they assembled in the alley out behind Doyle's. Even though they were disguised, they decided to leave through the back door, just in case anyone saw them go into Doyle's, only to leave in different clothes. As unlikely as it was that anyone in Saint Denis would care about anything other than the execution, they weren't going to come this far only to risk blowing it before they even got to the square. Sadie hated the dress with a vengeance. It was hot, it was binding, it pinched, and she couldn't wait until she could set fire to the damn thing. The only thing she hated more than the dress was the hat. It was one of the ridiculous affairs people in the area wore, adorned with feathers which made her look like a bird had landed on her head. If it wasn't for the lack of laughter, she'd have sworn Dutch was jerking her around. Dutch had opted for the officer's uniform, which left Arthur dressed as a constable. She did wonder if that was his way of trying to remind Arthur who was in charge.

"Well, don't we look the part?" Arthur asked as they made their way. Dutch seemed to ignore his pessimism.

"We'll cut through the alley to get to the gallows." Dutch recanted the plan to them. "We'll keep our weapons holstered, our disguised on and our wits about us."

"Mrs Adler, might I say, being a fancy woman of Saint Denis suits you." Arthur joked. Even when she wore clothes Tilly lent her, she didn't look quite look or feel quite as ridiculous as she did right now. Sadie just wasn't in the mood for it though.

"I'd dress up as the Queen of Sheba if it meant seeing that son of a bitch swing." Sadie said coldly.

"Colm hung me up, nearly butchered me…that don't mean I'm comfortable in this woollen coat." Arthur told her. Sadie now suspected that Charles had spoken to him, had asked him to try and talk her out of it when he had failed. Arthur had very real reasons to hate Colm. He had been tortured at his hands. He had been left in such a state that he wasn't even able to move from his bed for the first week after he escaped. Yet he was the one trying to convince her that despite that, he didn't think this was a good idea. Sadie could feel her head starting to ache.

"You made it outta that predicament, as I recall Mr Morgan." She reminded him. "My husband wasn't so lucky."

As they walked, she was looking back over her shoulder at Arthur, who was bringing up the rear. As the went up a stairway, she couldn't help noticing the way he steadied himself on the handrail, almost like he was pulling on a rope to help him climb a mountain, though it was only a couple of steps. In the relatively short distance they walked, she could hear a kind of rattle in his breath, like he was struggling already.

"You lost your husband." Dutch said, interrupting her thoughts before she could decide whether to ask Arthur if everything was alright. "I lost my darling Annabelle, that poor boy Kieran."

It was the jolt Sadie needed to get her mind back on the job at hand. She looked forward again, continuing on her way.

"We have all lost something because of Colm." He reminded them. "And that is why we will shepherd him into eternity."

"Amen to that." Sadie replied, fully committed to the Gospel of Dutch. He had caught her when she was wavering, guided her when she was losing her way.

"Now, keep those fingers off those triggers, because we need cool heads and calm dispositions to get this done." Dutch preached. Sadie found clarity in his words. Dutch had more reason than any of them to hate Colm, yet he was the one calling for calm and thought as they proceeded. He was driven, purposeful, he had the vision to proceed. He was able to make Sadie see the path ahead. Dutch and Arthur continued to bicker, but Sadie tuned it out. She was transfixed. All she could see ahead was the execution. Before long, they got to the opening to the public square. Dutch stood next to the gate and looked inside. There was already a large crowd gathering. Executions were always well attended, but Colm had brought out so many people, it looked like some were willing to skip work and lose a day's wages just to see it.

"You see that pair of assholes?" He asked, jerking his head in the direction of some scruffy looking men that were in the audience.

"Sure." Arthur sighed.

"They're Colm's boys." Dutch said, confirming what they all already knew. He'd already been sprung from a couple of executions, so they all expected him to have some boys there to try it again. "What a surprise. I'm glad we're here."

A curious look crossed Dutch's face as he saw them pointing and gesturing across the street. He tried to follow where they were pointing.

"What are they pointing at?" He mused.

"I don't know." Arthur said. "We've got to follow them to find out."

"Oh, here comes somebody." Dutch said, pulling down the skip of his hat as one of the O'Driscolls left the square, walking straight past them. He was so caught up in what he was doing, he didn't even notice that Colm's mortal enemy was within arm's reach as he walked past. He seemed to head up the street opposite the square. Dutch pointed a finger at Sadie. "Wait here."

"Don't do nothing." Arthur added as they both left her. Sadie slipped inside the square, but kept her distance to keep an eye on the O'Driscolls in the square. As she watched on, she noticed a few more in the crowd, making their way into position to cover the exits, no doubt to give Colm a route to escape. More people filed in, taking up spots to see, while some constables climbed onto the stage. One of them tested the rope, first with a couple of hard tugs, and then by lifting his bodyweight on it, swinging on it to ensure it would hold. The other waited until he was clear before trying the lever to activate the trap door. They made some adjustments under the directions of the hangman as Dutch returned to her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Colm had a sharpshooter on the roof across the street." Dutch told her with a little smile. "Arthur's dealing with that as we speak." The judge stepped up onto the stage to begin addressing the crowd.

"Fair Citizens of Saint Denis. For as long as any of us can remember, it is justice that separates us from barbary." He began his speech. Sadie could only find herself questioning where justice was when Tom came to her homestead. "Yet justice can itself can at times be barbaric. For sometimes a man is so savage, that the only way to deal with him justly is by savagery."

He hushed the crowd as Colm was brought up onto the gallows, his hands bound behind his back. Sadie looked him dead in the eyes as he was brought out. Far from the dread one would expect to see in a man in his position, he was smiling, almost laughing. The smug son of a bitch, he was just waiting for his men to spring him. Little did they know Arthur was already taking care of his sniper. He thought he was untouchable, but soon he'd be meeting his end even if Sadie had to put a bullet in his skull herself to be sure.

"Colm O'Driscoll is one such man." He told the crowd. "He has murdered, tortured, robbed, stolen, raped and abused for a decade across five states. Seemingly with impunity. Today, Justice catches up with him!"

"As well you may!" Colm cackled arrogantly. "I've been a bad man."

"SILENCE!" The judge called out. Dutch nudged Sadie and pointed to the closest O'Driscolls to the stage. These were the men that would be Colm's last chance. They made their way forward as the judge ordered Colm to be gagged. Sadie pulled out a knife, slipping it under the chin of one of the men, pressing the blade against his throat and holding him while Dutch grabbed the other, holding his revolver just where he could see it.

"Don't you damn well move." Sadie whispered to the man as he realised, he'd been caught by surprise. She looked to Colm, who was now looking to the two men he was expecting to rush onto the stage to release him. Dutch lifted his hat so that Colm could see it was him. Sadie looked Colm dead in the eyes as she watched the arrogance slip from his gaze. He looked up to the building across the street, and now he started to struggle, where before he looked relaxed, like he was about to take a hot bath. She could almost see the wheels in his head turning as he realised his plan was falling apart. Now, bound on the stage, the noose around his neck, it was beginning to dawn on him that this time there would be no last-minute save, no miracle.

"You see that look? The look in your man's eyes?" Sadie whispered to the O'Driscoll she was holding. "That's the look of someone that knows it don't matter how much they beg. That's the look of someone that knows they're gonna die."

She tensed up and blocked out everything else. She couldn't hear the judge delivering his sermon, or the people chanting, or even the whimpering please for forgiveness from the man she was holding as he realised, he failed his boss. All she could concentrate on was that panicked, doomed look in Colm's eyes, the same look Jake had given her before Tom gutted him. She just looked Colm dead in the eye as he dropped through the floor. The rope went taught, and he started jerking around at the end of the rope. His feet kicked for a few moments. People started to cheer as Colm stopped kicking, but Sadie could feel no peace, no pity in her heart as she looked once more to the man in her grasp.

"Now you know how it feels to watch someone you love die." She whispered to him coldly. Her fury built into a fire that completely took over. "You ruined my LIFE!"

She dragged her knife across his throat, spraying his blood in a massive crimson arc. People stood, frozen to the spot in horror at what was happening. Even Dutch was unable to believe what he had seen, staring on as the man fell to the ground. Sadie pulled out her revolver and shot the man Dutch was holding, blowing his brains out.

"DIE!" She screamed as the crowd now started to find their senses and flee. The O'Driscolls and the police in the square were now suddenly aware of the killer in their midst. Dutch grabbed her and dragged her into cover as he started firing.

The scene descended into chaos. Between the O'Driscolls and the police, and other people in the crowd who panicked and drew the moment they heard the shot, all anyone saw was people with guns. No matter where anyone looked, all they saw was a gun, and many reacted in panic, firing off before even being able to tell if it was friend or foe. Before long, bullets were flying in all directions.

Shots rang out from all directions and people fell in a bloody massacre. Dutch dragged Sadie into cover, looking for a way out. Fortunately, most of the citizens ran or fell pretty quickly, but that only left the O'Driscolls and the police, people who would just as soon shoot each other as them. They were pinned down as the O'Driscolls and the police turned on each other.

Some loud shots rang out from the distance and people started to fall. They were falling out of cover in a noticeable path leading to one of the exits. Arthur had picked up and used the sniper's rifle to clear a path for them. Even in the midst of the chaos, even in her fury as she gunned down anyone wearing O'Driscoll colours that crossed her line of sight, she was looking out for Tom.

"You've got your vengeance! We're moving for the wagon!" Dutch yelled at her, dragging her away. Sadie was nowhere near done with her vengeance though. She took one last look around as she climbed onto the wagon, but she couldn't see him. It seemed that once more, Tom had been somewhere else. Dutch whipped the horses for all he was worth.

"Well, we got him." Sadie said.

"Let's just get out of here." Dutch responded coldly. It was quite a while before he spoke again.

The road back to Beaver Hollow was long, and although the gun fight between the O'Driscolls and the police was still raging when they left Saint Denis, preventing anyone from following them, it was still inevitable people would come looking for them.

Dutch was silent most of the way. Sadie was still shaking energy still coursing through her from the gunfight. She was starting to calm down enough to take note of her surroundings again. Somewhere in the woods, some way from Beaver Hollow, Dutch pulled the wagon off the road.

"Get out." He said in a gruff tone.

"We ditchin' the wagon?" She asked. He took in a big, deep breath.

"I said, GET OUT!" He roared as he shoved her out of the wagon roughly. Sadie fell face first to the ground, landing in the mud in a heap. Dutch leapt down from the wagon as she looked up to him. His face was a bright red mask of rage. His eyes were practically on fire.

"Dutch…"

"What in the HELL was that?" He yelled at her. "You nearly got us both killed!"

"I…I…I…"

"Things were going perfectly. We had Colm right where we wanted him. We watched him hang." He listed. "Then you went completely crazy and started a God-Damned massacre!"

He started pacing and stroked his chin as he considered her.

"I should kill you for what you just pulled." He told her. "But…I'm nothing if not a forgiving man. There's a lot to do if we're to get out of this God forsaken country…"

"What about Tom?" She asked him. Dutch just looked to her.

"I'm sorry?" He asked her.

"You promised me we'd get the bastard that killed my husband!" She reminded him. "We settled your score. When do we settle mine?"

"I think you forget; I have more responsibilities and concerns than just your vendetta." Dutch said in a patronising tone. "I've got my whole family to think about. That is much more important than…"

Dutch started to talk…and talk…but it all tuned out into nothing. Sadie could only look down at her hands, at her clothes, which were still drenched in blood. That was all it was, talk. He had brought her along; he had stoked her hatred. She looked to him, feeling her anger rising.

"I did everything you asked of me!" She screamed at him. "I robbed for you! I killed for you!"

"Oh, no, you can't give me credit for that Mrs Adler." Dutch told her. "You were the one that did that."

"Dutch, you promised we'd find Tom…"

"The last of the O'Driscolls are at Hanging Dog Ranch." He told her matter-of-factly. "Most of 'em died in that bloodbath back there, and with Colm gone, you can bet that sure as shit Tom will be there."

She just looked to him as the rage stated to bubble up within her.

"You…you knew?" She asked incredulously. "You knew where they were?"

"I've known for months Mrs Adler." He responded. He came over to her, reaching for her face, stroking her cheek tenderly. "But I knew if I told you that you'd ride off and go stir up a whole shit storm that would've got you killed. I did it for you. To keep you safe until you were ready."

Dutch went to the wagon, cutting free one of the horses and swung himself up onto it.

"Hanging Dog Ranch. Do with that information what you will."

"You…you ain't gonna come with me?" She asked him. He shook his head.

"I have the family to worry about. You're welcome to join us whenever you like." He told her. "There will always be a place for you with us."

With that, he rode off, leaving her by the side of the road. Tears ran down her face as she thought about it. Tom, the man who took Jake from her…she knew exactly where he was! She hopped on the remaining horse and rode back towards the camp to prepare. Tom would not hang around for long. If she was going to get him before he disappeared, she needed to move fast!


	41. Mrs Sadie Adler, Widow

"Riggs Station!" The conductor called out as the train pulled in. Sadie was pulled out of her story, looking up as the conductor looked in on their cabin. "Miss, this is your stop."

"Thanks." She responded after a few moments. She still looked a little spooked. To most people, the execution of Colm O'Driscoll was history, something that happened years ago. There were, of course, people who still pined for the 'good old days' who would talk fondly of figures like Calloway, Grant, Bonny, James, O'Driscoll and yes, even Van Der Linde, but for the most part, the country had moved on. Colm O'Driscoll was a name in a book or in newspaper archives, but clearly even now it meant so much more to Sadie. She gestured to Levin and started to disembark.

They got out and found their horses and their bags being disembarked from the train. Sadie paid the handlers, far more than the going rate. She started talking to her horse, whispering soothingly to her after the long journey, before leading her away from the train. She swung herself up onto the saddle.

"Come on Mr Levin." She told him. "We got ourselves a LONG journey ahead of us."

"Where are we going?" He asked her.

"Blackwater." She told him. "I wish they'd hurry up and link the damn trains down there. Guess it'll happen one day, but...well, for now I guess we're takin' the long way."

Levin mounted up and started to follow her.

"So, you were really there when he was hung?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"Saw the piss and the shit runnin' down his legs." She told him. She looked to him. "You know that? People piss and shit themselves when they're hung? It's the reason they tie their legs together. That and to stop 'em kicking. They put hoods on people now too.

Levin was a little unsettled to see her laughing a little.

"You think that's funny?" He asked her.

"What? The fact people piss and shit themselves when they're hung? God no! It's just somethin' that happens." She responded. "But now they tie people's legs together so it don't run out, they put hoods on 'em so people don't see their faces make that horrible...GAK...thing when they drop."

She made the face and feigned being hung to make the point.

"All so people watchin' someone get their neck broke ain't upset by seein' what happens to 'em when they die." She said, shaking her head with a little bit of a smile. "People are all too quick to want people dead but they don't want to see it get ugly. Sometimes I think that's what all this 'civilisation' thing is. People don't want an end to all the nasty stuff, they just don't want to see it."

"You know, there are people now that oppose the death penalty." He told her. Sadie just laughed.

"Oh, I heard that alright." She answered. "I don't know. I just don't reckon I'll live long enough to see the last set of gallows torn down."

"So, Dutch told you where the last of the O'Driscolls were." Levin said, bringing the subject back to the story. "I...I remember hearing about a shootout at Hanging Dog Ranch around that time..."

"That's one way of describin' it." She told him. "Truth be told, I don't really know if there is a word for what happened there."

Back in the past, Sadie was back in the camp, preparing to settle things with the O'Driscolls once and for all. She'd asked around, and she had managed to confirm that Dutch had told her the truth. There were O'Driscolls holed up at the ranch. There weren't many left either. The shootout in Saint Denis had carried on between the O'Driscolls long after they had left, and under weight of numbers the O'Driscolls had been slaughtered wholesale. Between Pinkertons that were still hunting them after failing to deliver them Arthur and Dutch, the army and the law, the O'Driscolls now had more people after them than Dutch did.

They were now holed up, weighing up their options. She had heard a wide variety of stories, most of them coming down on the fact that they were now so weakened as a result of losing Colm's leadership and so many of their men that there was real talks as to whether the gang was going to disband or whether they were going to seek to flee the country altogether much like Dutch. Either way, they had fled back to the ranch to fortify their position while they decided what, if any, future they had. That meant she had a little time to make her move.

It wasn't hard to find time these days. With Cornwall gone, Dutch's attention had moved onto one last score, a huge one that would give them all the money they'd need to leave for good. There was talk of something building with the army but she wasn't too clear on what that meant.

People were working more and more for themselves now. The tithing box was gone. Someone had smashed it, no one knew who, and such was the atmosphere in the camp, Dutch didn't even replace it. People were bringing in money for themselves. For the most part, they were gearing up for...something. No one knew what, but there were also a lot more private, hushed conversations between small groups.

It did mean that no one was particularly forthcoming with the idea of riding off with Sadie to finish off the O'Driscolls. Javier and Bill both said they'd been fighting them long enough and with Colm gone, it was a settled issue. John was spending the time he wasn't doing errands for Dutch with Abigail and Jack. They were a lot closer now, and were always spending their time close together. Dutch had made it clear he was concentrating on his 'plan', which he never felt forthcoming enough to share. Charles had stayed in Waipiti to help the tribe. It didn't matter though, if she had to do it alone, she would.

Taking her lead from the others, she was treating her money as her own. No one else was contributing to the camp, so why should she? She had some money built up which she blew on a number of weapons for the occasion. Repeaters, revolvers, knives, fire bottles, some dynamite for good measure, and enough ammo to level the ranch several times over. She didn't spare a cent.

She was practicing throwing knives, trying to master what Charles had taught her. God, she wished he was here. He had been against going after Colm, but surely, he'd feel differently about the ranch. It wasn't like there was any police there, it'd just be them and the O'Driscolls. John, she didn't want to ask. Javier, Bill and Dutch had all told her to go to Hell already. Karen was so drunk off her ass now she wouldn't trust her with a knife, never mind a gun. Uncle was useless...it was looking more and more like she was going to be doing this herself.

Arthur returned to the camp from wherever he'd been. They'd gotten separated in Saint Denis, and part of her wondered if he would even bother coming back. She wouldn't have blamed him if he hadn't, but for all his complaining about how bad things were getting, for all his talk about how Dutch was losing it and things were all but over, something kept drawing him back.

He looked hellish as he walked towards her. His clothes were hanging off him. His hands now looked quite bony and he looked very pale and clammy, all apart from his eyes, which were bloodshot and had dark circles under them. They looked sunken, and his face looked almost skull-like. It was, by now, impossible for anyone not to notice that Arthur was sick. He had been since he got back from Guarma at least. There were some flecks of blood on his wrist. It wasn't unusual for one of the gang to have blood on their clothes, she'd come back looking like she worked in an abattoir a few times, but she'd noticed that he often had little spots around where he covered his mouth with his cuff whenever he coughed. He approached her, purposefully.

"You Okay?" She asked him.

"Peachy." He said in response. He couldn't have been less convincing if he had told her she was a buffalo.

"You sure?" She asked again, launching another knife. It slammed into the tree, marking the first time she'd managed to get three in a row into the tree she had aimed at.

"No, I ain't sure." Arthur said, coming around beside her, almost like he was admiring her work.

"You still workin'?" She asked him.

"Is anyone still workin'?" Arthur asked her pointedly. It was a pretty difficult point to refute. The industrious machine of the Van Der Linde Gang seemed like a pale memory now. People spent more and more time at the camp waiting to be told what to do than going out to find new opportunities. Before people would go out and work, returning only to find out what the next stage in the plan was or bring in their takings. Now, people were either working for themselves or sitting around camp waiting on a plan that she wasn't sure even existed in any tangible form. It wasn't like with Valentine where the town was the target, or Rhodes where the Civil War treasure was the goal, or even Saint Denis where the bank was the goal. Dutch hadn't even announced what the big score was yet. It made it difficult for anyone to get motivated or plan when they had no idea what they were planning for. "The whole God damned place full of people, bickering, fighting and lying...it makes me real sad."

Arthur looked particularly broken to her at that point. More than anyone, he had genuinely believed in the Van Der Linde Gang and what they represented. But more and more it just didn't seem to be what he believed it was anymore.

"I know." She agreed. "I need someone to ride with me."

"To do what?" He asked her.

"To finish off them O'Driscolls." She announced. She could already see the look on Arthur's face as she said this. "I hear the last of them is holed up at Hanging Dog Ranch."

Arthur didn't look exactly surprised to hear this. He just shook his head wearily.

"I don't have it in me no more." He answered. "I saw Colm swing. I...I just don't care."

Sadie's anger started to bubble up within her once more. She had heard similar, and even less polite answers from the others, but Arthur? She could see something wasn't right with him, and understood him not wanting to take on a big job, but just to outright refuse? Not even offer an alternative? She looked directly into his eyes.

"I was a married woman." She told him. "You know what they did to me and to my husband."

She wandered a short distance, heading towards her horse, but she stopped short. She couldn't bring herself to just walk away from him. Something just didn't feel right. She turned back to him.

"Look, you're the only one of these fools I trust." She said to him honestly. With Charles in Waipiti, Arthur was the only other person she could bring herself to ask. "I've got to do this."

After a long moment, she heard Arthur start to walk towards her.

"I'll tell you what. I'll do it." He began in a weary tone that indicated he was acting against his better judgement. "But there's something you can help me with."

He came around in front of her. Quid Pro Quo was a big thing in the gang. Everyone helped, and everyone was helped by the others. That was how it worked. He looked to her and started counting off on his fingers.

"Abigail, Jack, John." He told her. "Make sure they make it. I mean, this whole thing is pretty much done. But when the time comes..."

"But what do you mean?" Sadie interrupted him, feeling something distinctly off. Arthur had asked her to do something for him, but when he came to tell her what he wanted, he wanted her to do something for John's family? She felt something cold in her heart, descending all the way down to her stomach.

"When the time comes you help them!"

"What do you mean?" She reiterated, this time a little more forcefully. There was something there that she was starting to feel, something that she couldn't help noticing. Arthur didn't talk about himself in this plan. He didn't talk about how he could help. It was almost like he wasn't planning on being there. She once again noticed his clothing that before was pretty well-fitting now hanging on his frame that had shrunk noticeably pretty quickly.

"I mean help them escape when I…" He paused, stopping himself from speaking any further, but something in Sadie finally saw what had changed about Arthur. His ailing health, his insistence on helping those in the camp that needed it, his attempts to reign in Dutch. He was no longer focusing on himself or what would help him. "You know, you and me, we're more ghosts than people. But them, they could…they could…"

"I know." Sadie interrupted him. She reached out for him. "Of course, I will. Thank you, Arthur."

He smiled at her and nodded, pleased that he had gotten her pledge to help John and his family get away from the gang before it all ended in the way these things inevitably did. The Jack Hall gang were all buried in and around Valentine. The Wild Bunch were gunned down years ago. Cassidy and Sundance…even Jesse James caught a bullet in the back after his retirement. The outlaw life was one of adventure and had a lot of wealth and good times that went with it, but few retired in their old age.

"So, you want to ride with me now, or meet me up at Hanging Dog Ranch when you can?" She asked him. In response, Arthur just whistled, summoning his horse. They loaded up all her supplies, enough to arm a good half a dozen or more people, and rode out.

It took them a full day and night to get all the way from Roanoke to Big Valley. They found the ranch, nestled neatly in the trees at the foot of the mountains leading up towards where Sadie's old home had been.

It was an unassuming enough looking ranch, and one which, to her surprise, actually still looked like a working ranch, right down to them still having some cattle. If it wasn't for the men walking around with rifles all day wearing O'Driscoll colours, no one would have been any the wiser that this was not just another ranch. She and Arthur set up a camp a little way off, keeping an eye on it through their binoculars, preparing to hit it the following day.

"Any more of an idea how many there are?" Arthur asked her as he cooked up some meat he'd picked up along the way. Sadie just looked through the binoculars, scanning around.

"You've seen one O'Driscoll you've seen 'em all." She responded. "Reckon I've counted over a dozen, but exactly how many? Damned if I know. For all I know I keep countin' the same ones over and over."

"You see the feller you're lookin' for?" He asked her.

"You think I'd still be here if I had?" Sadie asked him. Arthur took a long look at the armoury they had brought with them.

"There's a lot here." He commented. "You do know you've only got two hands, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I did go a little overboard." She agreed, picking up one brand new repeater. She offered it to Arthur. "Here, you can have this one."

Arthur started to inspect it thoughtfully, shouldering it and looking down the sights.

"It's the Lichtfield." She told him. "It's got a good capacity. Figured we might need that considerin' we don't know how many of the bastards there are."

"Probably a good bet." Arthur commented, looking out a cigar. Sadie just looked to him.

"Should…should you be doin' that?" She asked him. Arthur just paused. He could see the look in her eyes and gestured to her to sit down. She joined him by the campfire.

"So…you know." He asked her. She didn't, but things were just coming up that made her suspect. She just gulped and took a deep breath.

"This thing you got, it ain't…it ain't just…" She stammered, trying to find a way to ask him. There was just far too much adding up for her to deny now. His ailing health, the blood, the weight loss, his sudden desperation to save everyone else… "It ain't gonna get better is it?"

"No, it ain't." He told her honestly, sounding almost relieved that she asked him rather than having to tell her. "Tuberculosis."

Sadie ran a hand over her face, trying to process what he had told her. She'd suspected that his illness was a lot more serious than he let people believe, but now he had confirmed it to her face. He was dying. She was no expert, but she had heard of tuberculosis, and from what she knew, it wasn't a good death. It was sometimes called consumption because the person just kind of got eaten away from the inside, wasting away.

"How long have you known?" She asked him, sniffing a little.

"I've known somethin' weren't right for a long time." He admitted. "I keeled over on my way to meet you when you wanted to send me up on that damn balloon. Some…some stranger hauled me out of the gutter and took me to a doctor. That were when he told me what it was."

She remembered seeing him looking off when he came into Doyle's that day. From what he was telling her, he'd had to come right from the doctor's office to meet her. He had gone along with her plan, the one that ended up costing Bullard his life, probably not even an hour after finding out he was going to die. He adjusted his position by the fire.

"Arthur…"

"There's no need to say nothin'." Arthur told her, lighting up his cigar. "It is what it is."

Sadie just stared at him as he said this. Eventually he just pulled the cigar out of his mouth.

"What's it gonna do, kill me faster?" He asked her. Sadie just sighed and nodded.

"Thank you, Arthur." She answered. "I'll just…take another look at the Ranch and then turn in."

With that, he unfurled his bedroll and lay down on it, turning over and drifting off to sleep. Those were the last words he had on the matter. Sadie stayed up for a little while longer, keeping an eye on the ranch until it got dark, watching the comings and goings until she finally joined him for some much-needed rest. She lay on the ground, watching Arthur sleeping for a while, thinking about what he had said.


	42. Red Dead Revenge

The air was unseasonably warm in Big Valley as morning broke. Sadie had already been awake for a couple of hours at least by the time the sun came up. She had gotten some rest, but with the last of the O'Driscolls so close, she just couldn't bring herself to settle for any length of time.

No one would have been able to guess that this was a gang that had seen their numbers decimated and being run out of most of the state by their enemies. Anyone with any brains who was currently being pursued by the Pinkertons, the Marshalls, and the Saint Denis Police and even the United States Army would be keeping pretty quiet and lying low. However, the O'Driscolls were never particularly the smartest of people even now. Lanterns burned long into the night, and she could hear singing, yelling, gunfire and other drunken revelry all night.

She never caught sight of Tom, but she could feel he was there, she could feel it right to her very core. She had worried that they were going to scatter, to disband the gang and ride out in all directions, taking their chances on their own, but even now the bastards held some kind of unity to each other. That or they were just too dumb, weak and useless to make anything of themselves on their own. She kept watch over the ranch, thinking of the fact that in a short time, it would finally all be over. She would finally put things right.

She heard Arthur stirring behind her. He didn't have anything like her trouble sleeping. She didn't know if it was his illness that meant he needed the rest, or if he was just so much more detached from the situation. He had always advised against seeking revenge. He had only really agreed to help because he knew Sadie would come anyway and she promised to help John leave the gang.

He sat up, and coughed, before looking up to the sky.

"Fine morning for a killing." He commented. He was just trying to make conversation, but Sadie couldn't have cared less if it was raining frogs. All she cared about was the last of the O'Driscoll Gang was only a few feet away, and soon they'd be making their move.

"Hey." She greeted him, offering him a hand to get up. He just looked to her with a withering look and got to his feet himself. He'd told her about his illness, she knew that there was nothing that could be done, but Arthur always had his pride. He wasn't going to ask for her to help him stand any more than he was going to back out now, even though he had never wanted to come in the first place. He was all set to just let the rest of the gang go to whatever fate the wilderness would deal out to them eventually, but he had agreed to help. It was enough for her. Sadie would have gone in alone, but a second gun was never going to be a bad thing. She was too close to let any kind of vanity deny her now.

"You seen anything down there?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I think there's a bunch of them down there." Sadie responded. She'd counted at least twenty, but since one O'Driscoll looked like another, she had no idea if she was counting the same ones multiple times. Given the racket there could have been a small army of them. It didn't matter much to her. "And mostly drunk."

She levelled her repeater over her shoulder, looking towards the ranch intently.

"But there's one of them, he's a fat feller with a beard." She said firmly, before looking to Arthur. "Him…he's mine!"

Arthur just stroked the bridge of his nose, rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes. He didn't need her to explain why that one was for her. Revenge was one of the simplest emotions in the world to understand. She didn't give two shits who or what killed the rest of them. She'd have been over the moon if Dutch and the others had come too in order to clear the path for her, but Tom, she wanted him to see her face, to look into her eyes, to know exactly what was coming and to know that he deserved every last agonising moment of it.

"Okay." He answered simply, before gesturing towards the Ranch. Sadie took the lead, walking purposefully right towards the ranch. It might have been more advisable to plan some kind of strategy, to try and outsmart the much larger force before them, but she was so eager to get things started. She had a basic idea of the layout of the place, but beyond that she was relying more on the fact they were drunk as hell and not expecting anyone to find them so quickly.

"It's a big ranch. Run down. Lots of folk there, but spread pretty thin." She said as much to herself as to Arthur, building herself up for the fight ahead. She could already feel her heart pounding, and her blood coursing. Every muscle was prepared, energised. She felt like she could punch out a bison of one crossed her path. She threw her repeater over her shoulder. "I'll set it off, then we'll…we'll take it from there."

"Take it from there?" Arthur asked her. "So…no real plan then?"

"Oh, I got a plan!" Sadie said as she pulled out a fire bottle. A little trick she had Sean to thank for. She lit the rag as she strode towards the ranch, quickening her pace as she came close. "Come on!"

She heaved the fire bottle as hard as she could straight through the window of the nearest outbuilding. As dim and as drunk as the O'Driscolls were that got some attention. People were already starting to come towards them to see what the commotion was. Sadie pulled her repeater from her back, beginning to break into a run.

"Come on. Let's finish this!" She screamed as she took the first shot, taking one of the startled O'Driscolls to the ground. Arthur followed her, a little more methodically. She could tell he was there by the O'Driscolls falling around her, but she just rushed straight in, bringing the fight straight to them. They rode with Tom, she wasn't going to let a single one of them leave alive.

"Jake Adler…Sadie Adler…we was good people!" She screamed, trying to make sure they knew who had come for them. The O'Driscolls had committed atrocities like the one they had done to her all across the country. They would likely not even know which of the people they had wronged had come for them if they remembered at all. She wasn't going to let them forget. Their names would be the last thing they would hear. Another O'Driscoll came towards her, only for her to put a bullet straight through his skull.

"JAKE ADLER!" She yelled as another fell. "SADIE ADLER!"

Another fell, first to a round through his knee, but when she realised he was still screaming, she put another two in his chest.

"YOU RUINED US!" She screamed as one broke cover in front of her. She smashed the butt of her gun into his face, sending blood and spit flying as he hit the ground. She stood over him, smashing the butt into his face again and again until his skull came apart. "YOU RUINED ME!"

The surprise and the ferocity of their initial attack had turned the tables, and the yard was now seemingly clear. Sadie could only look to the main house and think that it would be just like Tom to hole up in there while his men died to save his worthless hide.

"OK, you take the barn, I'll take the farm house!" Sadie called out to Arthur. He ran towards the barn, standing with his back to the wall, before turning inside. She ran up to the front door of the farm house, running straight into it, only to bounce off. The door was solid, heavy, and wouldn't budge an inch. She kicked at it furiously a couple of times, before resorting to shooting at it. Nothing moved it.

She wasn't to be denied though, not now, not after coming so close. She quickly looked around and saw one of the O'Driscoll's corpses holding a shotgun. It wasn't a weapon she had much fondness for. It kicked like a mule and made a hell of a mess of whatever was in front of it. She didn't much fancy the idea of having to painstakingly pick pieces of shot out of her kills before cooking them when she could take them down with one well-placed bullet, but that door was going to need something a lot stronger than her or her repeater to shift it. She threw her repeater aside and ran to the body, stomping down on his hand hard to break the fingers. She didn't have the patience to try and pry it from his grip. Grinding his hand under her heel, she was soon able to relieve him of his shotgun and ran back towards the door, readying it and pulling the trigger.

The shotgun felt like a punch to the chest, but it ripped the door from its hinges. She didn't wait for the people inside to respond, the first one she saw she let have it, almost blowing him clean in half at point-blank range.

She ran screaming into the house in the confusion and spun around, finding the remaining outlaws dazed and confused. The one thing the pump-action had in its favour was in such close confines, it cleared a room like a prairie fire. Three, four, five…she lost count of how many there were, she just kept going until the gun ran dry and there was no one left. She took a quick look around to check if one of them was Tom, but she heard some movement upstairs. She drew her revolvers and charged up the stairs. When she got there, everything else melted away. There, just a few feet from her, was the man that had haunted ever moment of her existence since the attack. He looked exactly the same. She had burned every detail of his face into her mind on the night he left her homestead. He went for his revolver, but she fired first, hitting him in the arm. It jerked as he screamed, causing him to toss it out of the window. He just stared at him, burning into him with her eyes full of hatred that she had no idea it was possible for anyone to feel. He started to look around, possibly for a friend to help him, maybe for an escape route, perhaps even for a weapon, she didn't know, but he quickly started to realise the predicament he was in. She had two loaded revolvers, she'd only used one round. That was eleven shots to his none. She had him dead to rights.

"Look, please…I…I don't…" He started to stammer out. "My boys and I, we just hit a stage a couple of days ago. We got some money, it's yours!"

"I don't want your God damned money!" She hissed as she eyed him judgementally. She'd imagined this moment, dreamed of it for so long, she had concocted at least a thousand different ways she wanted this to pan out. Now that she had him before her, she didn't want to give him the dignity of a quick death. "I want my husband back!"

"I…I don't know what you're talking about!" He told her. "I…I killed a lot of people, maybe your husband were one of 'em, I don't know…"

"Oh, he definitely was." She responded. "Does the name Jake Adler mean anything to you?"

He just stared at her blankly and shook his head. Either he really didn't remember, or he was hoping that not gloating would cause her to go easy on him. If anything it just made her blood boil all the more. She saw the knife in his belt and pointed to it.

"Take it out." She told him. He went to his belt, reluctantly drawing the knife. It was an antler-handled bowie knife, the same one she remembered seeing all those months ago. She just sneered. "Yeah, that was it. That was the knife, you stuck in my husband's belly."

He just stared at it, then back to her.

"Up in the mountains, the cabin in the snow!" She started to rant. "You gutted him and left him to bleed into the floor!"

His eyes grew wide, if he didn't remember before, now he clearly did.

"Jake Adler!" She yelled at him, tears starting to run down her face as she shook with rage. "JAKE ADLER! He was a good man! He was MY man! He was my world…and you took him from me!"

Tom considered his position. Sadie had the guns, she was the one with the best position, but in her anger she started to approach him. He took a deep breath.

"Lady…I…"

"Don't you DARE speak about him!" She roared, her voice cracking as she advanced on him. "Jake Adler! JAKE ADLER!"

Suddenly, without warning, he rushed her. Sadie had gotten too close. She managed to avoid the first swipe of his blade, but he knocked one of the revolvers from her grasp. She managed to smash him in the face with her other revolver, causing him to drop his knife.

They both rolled around on the floor, grappling for the other revolver. As they rolled towards the stairs, he was starting to get leverage. The only way Sadie could see to stop him getting the gun was to throw it away herself. He started to try and strangle her, choking the life out of her.

He mounted on top of her, getting all the leverage he'd need. He smiled through blood-stained teeth, as he let out a bestial growl, concentrating all his strength on her windpipe. Sadie could already feel the room starting to spin, but she wasn't letting him get away, not when she had come so far already. She drove her thumb straight into one of his eyes and didn't stop until she felt something pop. He screamed and fell away as she ripped the eye straight out of his head, spraying his blood on her.

Released from his grasp, she got up, coughing as she tried to get her breath back. She pulled out her own knife, seeing him on the floor a little way off. She stood over him.

"You bastard piece of shit!" She snarled. "I told you you'd see me again!"

She dropped down onto him, driving her knife deep into his chest, right up to the hilt. It took all of her strength to yank it back out, but she wasn't done. She drove the blade down again and again and again. She never lost sight of his eye, full of fear as he realised his end had come. She didn't stop for a moment, completely collapsing his chest. By the time she was done, completely exhausted and spent, the whole room, including her, was covered in blood. She dropped her knife and fell back onto her tail-bone. It was only then that she realised Arthur had come into the room. She got up to her feet wearily, seeing the way he was looking at her.

"You okay?" He asked her. It was probably the most pointless question anyone would ever ask her. She had no idea what she was, but 'okay' was about the furthest thing in the world from what she felt.

"Yeah." She whispered, her voice cracking, her throat raw from all the screaming of the battle. Arthur looked around and righted a chair, setting it up for her. Sadie's tears started to come a lot more freely now as he guided her towards it, sitting her down. Suddenly, all the pain, all the anger, everything all came to her all at once. She just collapsed on the chair.

"He was a good man, my Jakey." She sobbed as she finally allowed herself to feel the depths of her loss. "We was always sweet on one another."

"I'm sure." Arthur sighed, touching her shoulder as she wiped her eyes. She just couldn't clear them no matter what she did.

"I miss him every day…every moment." She sniffed. "They turned me into a monster, Arthur! But my memories of him…they still pure."

Arthur took a deep breath, looking to her sympathetically.

"I ain't even got that." He told her. Sadie didn't know too much about Arthur's past. She knew he'd once gotten close to marrying a woman named Mary, she'd heard others in the camp talk about it when he found himself helping her out again. She wiped her nose before looking to him once more.

"Aside from my Jake…you're the best man I've known." She told him. Arthur just let out a slightly derisive laugh.

"I know the company you keep. The competition ain't too fierce." He told her as she started to wipe her eyes again. "We um…we should probably get away from here."

He didn't bother to say that he was worried about the law. They were far enough away from the nearest town it would probably be hours before anyone came to find out what all the ruckus was. But she could tell he wanted to get her away from this place, to get her away from this horror. She took one last look at Tom, before getting up and following Arthur out of the farmhouse. It didn't take a surgeon to see that he was as dead as any man could be. It was finally over, and yet still something was gnawing at her.

When they got outside, it was once more quiet. There was still a slightly faint smell of cordite in the air, but the critters had yet to come for the bodies. There were bodies littered all around but they'd not been out long enough to start smelling. Sadie could only look around…she knew that there couldn't have been more than about two dozen, but it seemed like it was so much more. She felt the wind on her, cutting straight through her clothing which was still damp from Tom's blood and shuddered.

"I…think I need to be alone for a bit." Sadie told Arthur.

"I understand." He responded, before gesturing to her as he called their horses. "You um…might want to get yourself cleaned up."

"Thank you, Arthur." Was all she could bring herself to say. He didn't ask her to speak. He didn't ask her to stay or to go with him, he just let her go. She swung herself up onto her horse and rode away.


	43. What Now?

"Jesus." Levin whispered in a barely-audible breath as he heard this part of the story. "The Massacre at Hanging Dog Ranch? That was you and Arthur Morgan?" She just nodded.

"I...I can't believe it. People in the region still talk about that. There were dozens dead, blood all over...it was years before anyone..."

"Yeah, it were a long time before anyone even went near the place." Sadie interrupted him. "I heard Mr Abels tried to sell it a bunch of times but couldn't. It were almost six years before he convinced anyone to live there, and even then it were the Laramie Boys. They was low-rent nobodies...Colm O'Driscoll wannabes that never were worth a shit."

"I hear they met a similar end." Levin commented. "That ranch has something of a cursed history."

"Curse? Mr Levin, just when I start to think you're smart you go and say somethin' dumb like that." Sadie chuckled.

"You don't believe it's cursed?" Levin asked. "Even despite what happened...?"

"Mr Levin, that place is no more cursed than Armadillo, or Limpany or Pleasance...hell, even my place!" She replied. "Sometimes bad shit just happens, that's just how life is."

"That's..." Levin started to say, taken aback slightly by Sadie's assertion about the meaningless nature of the incidents in question. The Massacre which saw the last of the O'Driscoll boys meet their grisly end was one of the most talked-about urban legends in the region. The fact that the next inhabitants who took over the ranch, the Laramie Boys, had met a similarly grisly end was just one of the things that convinced people it was a place best avoided. Abels, the rancher who owned the property, had since abandoned it to the elements. Unable to get anyone to buy the land, even for a loss, he had just turned his back on it altogether. "I have to say Mrs Adler you're...a lot more philosophical about these matters than I would have expected."

"Arthur were the philosophical one." She said, a little faint smile coming to her face. "He read a lot of books...Dutch's influence I guess. Me, I couldn't tell you what some guy from Greece or China or wherever said that were just a smart way of sayin' shit happens. I just...learned that it did. Afterwards, you just find a way to go on. Even if it ain't always easy."

Back in 1899, Sadie took a long, winding path, trying to avoid settlements and people as she left the ranch behind. She couldn't bring herself to face anyone. She didn't want to see or hear another person, perhaps ever again. All she could think about was what she had left behind.

It kept echoing in her mind, over and over again. She could still smell the cordite, feel the sting of the gun smoke in her eyes, and hear the dreadful screams. She and Arthur had gone in like a force of nature, ensuring no one got out alive. The word would soon break that the O'Driscolls were officially no more, and yet, no matter how many times she reminded herself Tom was dead, no matter how many times it replayed in her mind, or how often she reminded herself it was now over, she couldn't find the peace she was hoping she'd find at the end of it all.

"_Before we go, I promise you, we will end this thing with Colm O'Driscoll once and for all."_ His voice echoed in her mind. _"When Colm swings, someone will need to take over the gang from him. Just as I promised you Mrs Adler, you get first refusal to ride with me."_

He had delivered on that promise. She had her revenge. Jake's death had been punished, and yet still she didn't feel any satisfaction, any joy. Instead, all she felt was…empty.

She rode down to the edge of the river, heading along, and that was the first time she got a glimpse of herself. She had blood on her, but not just a little. She was covered. It was everywhere. On her clothes, on her face, all over her hands, in her hair…she was fortunate no one had met her on her ride; the vision looking back at her was positively daemonic.

"_I don't know if you're aware but this is a civilised land now. We didn't kill all them savages only for the likes of you to act like human dignity and basic decency was outmoded or not invented yet." _ Milton's voice came to her. She snapped around in her saddle, half-expecting him to be right behind her, and yet he was nowhere in sight. Her heart was in a panic, and she had to get down off the horse, shakily making her way towards the river. She knelt down, putting her hands to the water, and started trying to wash some of the blood off her in a futile gesture. Mixing the dried blood with water just seemed to make it worse, made it start to run red again, transfixing her as she tried to clean her hands.

"_That was…the most…I fuckin' love it! You are seriously messed up girl, but I love it!" _Sean's voice came to her. She could only think of the screaming again. The fear in people's eyes. Why was it bothering her so much?

"_Dutch gets us to read a whole lot of books, one of them was by some Chinese feller, I forget his name. Anyway, this guy, he once said, if you go out lookin' for revenge, you start by diggin' two graves." _ Arthur's voice came to her. She could recall him saying that to her. At the time, she could only answer she didn't care how many she had to kill. He'd told her that wasn't the point. She never understood then, but Arthur's voice came to her again… _"The hell is wrong with you? I only left you an hour ago. You can't stay out of trouble for one God damned hour? You got that poor bastard killed for his troubles! I kind of liked him!"_

Bullard! Arturo Bullard, an unwitting participant in her rampage of carnage. He hadn't even noticed that he wasn't there after that shootout, she only noticed after Arthur pointed it out to her. Arturo hadn't even known he was getting involved in a criminal act. She'd tricked him by telling him he was giving Arthur a flying lesson. The blood on her hands felt a lot less clean now. Not all of it was people who deserved it.

She suddenly felt her tears starting again. Dutch's voice came to her again.

_I've known for months Mrs Adler. But I knew if I told you that you'd ride off and go stir up a whole shit storm that would've got you killed. I did it for you. To keep you safe until you were ready."_

He'd known…he'd known all that time. Then when it came time for her to seek her revenge, he told her she was on her own. That was all she was to him…a means to an end. She was a monster…his monster! He had made her to help get his vengeance on Colm, but once that was over with he couldn't care less about her revenge…

"_Oh, no, you can't give me credit for that Mrs Adler. You were the one that did that."_ His voice came to her again. She couldn't help but come to the realisation that he was right. He hadn't forced her to pick up a gun in Colter. He hadn't made her learn to become an outlaw. He didn't make her learn to fight and kill to a level that rivalled some of the most legendary outlaws in the region. 'Kid Van Der Linde' was all of her own making. He may have tempted her, may have shown her the path, but everything else…everything else she had chosen to do.

Seeing her own blood-stained face, in the river, she looked to the sky and let out a huge, anguished scream as her tears came to her. What would Jake think if he could see her now? Would he even recognise what she had become? Would he want her?

It was only now that she saw what Karen meant when she referred to the gang as a bunch of bastards and broken souls. Dutch had found them all, and shaped them into what he needed, given them a purpose when they had nothing. No one was forced to join and no one was forced to stay. Now though, she wondered what she had to stay for. She sniffed as Karen's words came to her.

"_What makes you think that would be such a bad thing? Davie, Mac, Jenny, Kieran, Lenny, Hosea…Sean. Every day we're goin' on things just seem to get worse and worse. What's so great about all this? Wonderin' if this is the day it's gonna be our turn? Don't you ever think maybe…maybe it would be better if this were all just…over?"_

Sadie had thought Karen's drinking just made her want to give up, but now she was starting to see that they were more alike than she could admit. Karen had her drinking, but Sadie, it was all about her revenge. Now she had that though, what was next?

"_And just what do you have goin' on that's so great? Your husband's dead, your home's a pile of ash…That fat feller you keep goin' on about? That one that gutted your husband like a prize hog? Say you do find him. Say you do get him? What then?" _

That, right there, was the moment she realised, Karen had seen something she didn't want to. There was no 'what then'. She had never considered what came after she killed Tom. Now, all she could think about was the life she had lived to get to that point. That was when Hosea's voice spoke to her.

"_Must have used one of them exploding rounds to make sure he did the job right."_ She recalled him saying; telling her how Arthur had watched one of the Lemoyne Raiders kill himself rather than watch Shady Belle fall. She felt her trousers, before going into the pocket and pulling it out. She'd almost forgotten all about it. Hosea had taught her how to make exploding rounds shortly before he was killed in Saint Denis.

"_One of these will pretty efficiently relocate someone's head."_She could hear him say. She took out one of her revolvers, emptying the rounds onto the ground carelessly, before loading in the explosive round. She fumbled around with it a little, finally being able to cock the hammer. She turned it, placing the barrel inside her own mouth, sobbing as she tried to summon the strength to just pull the trigger. That was all it would take, one little squeeze and it would all be over.

"_You know, you and me, we're more ghosts than people." _Arthur's voice said to her. She was already lost, already gone…what was the point in prolonging the pain any longer?

"_I'm not telling you, I'm…I'm…begging you. Sadie, please, no good will come of this. That son of a bitch has hurt more people than possibly any of us, and whatever his end is, he has it coming more than most. But there's no reason to risk yourself or…or lose yourself in the process. Sadie, please…Sadie, please, you're better than this!"_ Charles…she could remember him pleading with her not to go after Colm. He wanted her to avoid this. She took the gun out of her mouth and looked around. He'd tried to warn her, tried to get her to change her mind, and yet…she'd gone anyway. She planted the barrel against her forehead and tried to summon up the strength to end it all. After all, what did she have left?

"_Abigail, Jack, John. Make sure they make it. I mean, this whole thing is pretty much done. But when the time comes... help them escape when I…" _

Her eyes snapped open as she heard Arthur's words. She could remember him asking her to help, to continue what he wasn't sure he'd have long enough to finish. Arthur knew his end was coming, he just wanted it to count. She had promised him that she would help John and Abigail and Jack escape, to get the hell out of the life for good. Her hands started to shake on the revolver.

"_Believe me, being left behind is no slight. It's a mark of the faith I have in you. I'm leaving you my family to take care of."_ She could hear Hosea say, some of the last words he'd ever say to her. He had tasked her with looking after his family, with ensuring that no matter what happened at the bank job the others would be safe. She finally pulled the gun away from her head, dropping it wearily to her side as her tears ran down her face.

She could only think about the gang. It was obvious it wasn't what it was. It was unravelling, coming apart at the seams. Before long, they'd all have to make choices. She took the explosive round out of the revolver, and put it back into her pocket. Her time could wait. For now, she had promises to keep. Her revenge had kept her going this long. Perhaps her promises could keep her going a little longer to see them through.

She mounted up her horse, and rode off, determined to make her way back. It took her a long time to get back to Beaver Hollow, at least a week. She'd managed to get stopped off somewhere to get cleaned up and her clothes cleaned, but had to leave abruptly when she saw the announcement of the Hanging Dog Ranch Massacre. Although no one was particularly sorry to see the O'Driscolls gone, the fact was there were a lot of people looking for them. The Pinkertons, the army, the law...since no one claimed responsibility for the attack, that did leave the very real question as to who did do it. Sadie had decided that someone showing up in a settlement looking like the town butcher after that announcement would at very least attract questions and so she had fled without so much as a word.

There were patrols of bounty hunters and Pinkertons out in force, and while no one was looking specifically for her, she didn't want to take any chances. It did mean having to take a somewhat longer and more remote path than she'd have liked. She'd always thought of herself as having good survival instincts, but living off the land all the way, she was grateful to her time in the gang. She did stop off in settlements briefly for some supplies, and to see what the word was.

It turned out her exploits weren't the only news in the area. Things between the army and the Natives it seemed had deteriorated at an alarming rate, and there was now several stories going around about major battles between them. In the time between her attack on the ranch and when she finally got back to Roanoake, she saw stories in the papers saying there'd been some kind of incident between the Natives and the army at what was meant to be a negotiation. Captain Monroe had been declared a traitor and deserter and there was now a price on his head. He'd been seen running off with people whose description sounded a lot like Arthur and Charles. From there, there had been stories of a few attacks and incidents that made it sound like the war Rains Fall feared and was trying to avoid at all costs was just waiting on a final spark to set it off.

By the time she finally rode back into the camp, she was completely exhausted, and so hungry that even the thought of Pearson's cooking seemed like something sent down from Heaven. Hell, she'd even settle for something Abigail cooked! She hitched up her horse, whispering a thank you to her and promising a good, long rest.

"SADIE!" Mary-Beth greeted her as she started waving and ran over frantically. Sadie was glad to see her. "I'm so glad to see...we read the paper about Hanging Dog...some of us weren't sure you were coming back."

She pulled in closer to her.

"Are you? You know...are you alright?" Mary-Beth asked.

"I got them all." Sadie replied.

"That's not what I asked." Mary-Beth pointed out. Sadie liked Mary-Beth, she was a genuine and kind woman, one that if it wasn't for a few twists of fate would likely never have been even remotely close to becoming an outlaw.

"I'm...not sure." Sadie answered honestly. "I'm alive...I guess that'll have to do for now."

Mary-Beth pulled Sadie in, hugging her warmly. Sadie was a little stunned. She wasn't really a hugger, even before the night Jake was murdered. The only person she was ever really tactile with was Jake, but feeling Mary-Beth holding her, it felt...well, it felt really good. She half-heartedly hugged her back. As they parted, Sadie looked to her.

"I'm pretty famished though." She told her. "I'm so hungry I could eat somethin' Abigail cooked."

"Now, that's bad!" Mary-Beth laughed, beginning to guide Sadie towards the chuck wagon, looking for something to eat. Pearson's stew wasn't quite ready yet, but she did manage to get Sadie some bread and butter.

"So, you've been gone a while." Mary-Beth stated.

"Had to take a long route." Sadie told her. "There are a lot of patrols on the roads these days."

"You're telling me, things have been just been crazy around here!" Mary-Beth told her.

"I heard about that think with Colonel Favours and Rains Fall." Sadie sighed.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. Dutch decided he wants to help Eagle Flies, he took him and some of the natives, said he was going to ambush a patrol through Cumberland Forest, just tar and feather them...ended up with a whole bunch of them dead!"

"They attacked the army?" Sadie asked her. Mary-Beth just nodded.

"I really don't know what's going on in Dutch's head right now, but...I'm starting to get real scared." Mary-Beth admitted. "Last I heard, Arthur was riding out with Bill, something about stealing some dynamite Cornwall was selling to the army."

Sadie just shook her head in disbelief. The army again? It was like Dutch was trying to start a war. She had no idea what his game really was, she hadn't been around camp much, and by the looks of him, huddled by his tent with Micah, whispering over a map as they always seemed to do these days, she knew they were planning something. The only question was, how heavy a price would have to be paid for his plan to come to fruition? Micah and Dutch...it was always them. She wasn't quite sure if Micah was influencing Dutch or the other way around. More and more she was starting to wonder if they both just seemed to encourage each other to even more insane and desperate acts. Sadie took a look around the camp at those that were left. Javier was on guard duty, Uncle was lazing around by the fire as usual, Tilly and Abigail were minding Jack. Arthur and Bill, she'd been told were out stealing dynamite. There were a couple of others who were noticeable by their absence.

"Where's Karen?" Sadie asked her.

"Oh...uh...I...I really don't know." Mary-Beth stammered unconvincingly. "You know what she's been like lately, always drunk...we woke up one morning and she was just gone."

Sadie just glared at her, completely unconvinced. Mary-Beth was a good thief, a gifted writer, and a pretty good scam artist, but with her friends, she wasn't a good liar. She could spin a yarn that could fool anyone while she robbed them blind, but with those she cared about, those she knew trusted her? She was just incredibly uncomfortable being dishonest. She finally took a deep breath and gestured Sadie in.

"You can't tell Tilly, alright?" She asked. Sadie just nodded. "I was worried about her, real worried. There were times I saw her asleep and had to keep checking she was still breathing. Then one day, she just walked right off the edge of that rock. Too drunk to even see the edge."

"She's dead?" Sadie asked.

"No, but only because she landed in mud and missed the rocks, thank God." Mary-Beth told her. "After that, I just...I figured if something wasn't done she'd end up dead."

"I don't follow you." Sadie answered.

"I took her to Saint Denis, got her drunk...which wasn't too hard since she was already falling over her own feet by the time we got there, and then I..."

Mary-Beth started to withdraw into herself. She whispered to Sadie.

"I...I got her committed." She told her. "I left her at a sanatorium."

She looked to Sadie, clearly devastated, feeling like she'd betrayed her friend, but Sadie just nodded in understanding.

"You did it for her own good." Sadie reassured her. "I won't tell no one."

"Really?" Mary-Beth asked. "I still feel just awful..."

"Look, she were gonna end up dead the way she were goin', at least this way she has a chance." Sadie replied as she saw Micah coming towards them. She gestured to Mary-Beth to stop talking as he walked past. He paused for a moment, looking to Sadie and smiled.

"So, you're back." He commented.

"Yeah." Sadie responded, her skin crawling just looking at the man. If she wasn't convinced before that coming back was the right thing to do, she sure as hell was now. The others, the ones she wanted to save, they didn't have a chance if she left them with Micah. At least if she was there, she could keep an eye on the slimy bastard.

"Nice job with them O'Driscolls." He chortled. "I've got a couple a friends ridin' in. Real strong guns from back in the day when I rode with my brother. I wasn't too sure before, but after that...I think you might like 'em."

"If they're friends with you, I doubt it." Sadie answered. Micah just laughed, tipping his hat in a mocking gesture and started heading for his horse.

"If you'll excuse me, I have some real work to do. Arthur and Bill should be just about done by now." He told her. "But don't go too far, I'm sure I can think of somethin' useful for you to do."

"Don't worry." Sadie muttered as he left. "I ain't goin' nowhere."

"Micah's got friends coming here?" Mary-Beth asked. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Me neither." Sadie agreed. "Right now...I'm thinkin' Karen might be in the best place of all of us."


	44. Know When To Fold Them

The atmosphere at the camp was noticeably different. Things had been desperate before, but this just felt completely different. Colter, where they had virtually no food, were frozen in and had already buried two of their number was desperate. Lakay, when almost half the gang, and most of its strongest members were lost, thought dead, and they had almost no money, weapons or provisions was desperate. This though was something else.

Word had now broken that the O'Driscolls were gone. While no one knew for sure who had massacred the last of the O'Driscoll Gang at Hanging Dog Ranch, not that many people cared, they had served as at least a distraction to some people that were looking for the Van Der Lindes. With them gone, now the authorities could focus their full attention on trying to find the Van Der Lindes, now pretty much the last of the great outlaw gangs.

Dutch was insisting he had an idea that would see them leave the country for good, but he was being pretty tight-lipped about the details. All anyone knew was that it had to do with dynamite and the Bacchus Bridge railway line, meaning that once again, it likely involved a train robbery, not that any of them knew which train exactly would be carrying enough money to fund a new life for all of them. Some of them were already thinking of new lives.

Arthur was running errands for Dutch, working on his own scheme that would see John, Abigail and Jack leave the gang once all was said and done. Now that Sadie knew about his illness, she understood that he wanted to use the last of his time to make sure that those he cared about got away to safety, much like poor Hosea before him. Sadie was taking her lead from him, but spending more time at the camp.

While Arthur was keeping up appearances that he was working to put Dutch's plan, whatever it was, together, Sadie was keeping an eye on the camp. Micah was also sticking close to camp, constantly the whisper in Dutch's ear, and with two of his friends coming too, Sadie didn't trust him around the others, and wanted to gauge who among the others was ready to leave and gently encourage them to do so, helping them on their way.

Some needed less encouragement than others. Arthur had thrown Strauss out on his ass in a scene in front of the whole camp. Arthur's eyes were blazing as he yelled at the moneylender about his destruction of people's lives. Most were certain Arthur would kill him, but after forcefully packing his bags and throwing some money at him, he had shoved Strauss out of the camp under threat to never return.

There weren't many who were sorry to see Strauss gone. While he'd ridden with the gang for a while, he wasn't exactly one of them. He never put his neck on the line in a fight, hell, Sadie could never remember even seeing him hold a gun. His weapon of choice was his ledger. They put up with him because he brought in money and minded the medicine wagon, but most of them never really felt too comfortable about his operation. Even Dutch had said that robbing a bank somehow seemed more dignified. All in, no one made comment after Arthur banished him.

Trelawny and Swanson had slipped away quietly sometime in the chaos with the army. Trelawny was always one to know when it was time to cash in his chips and go. Swanson, Arthur said something about him going to New York. Karen, she now knew to be in a Sanatorium, Mary-Beth having tricked her into getting drunk in Saint Denis and leaving her there. While it was not in the slightest something she felt good about doing, the way she was going, it seemed likely the only thing that was going to save her life.

Quiet conversations at camp were very enlightening. The women especially were starting to think about jumping rather than waiting to be pushed if hard choices had to be made.

"I…I…I don't know Sadie, I just…I really don't know." Mary-Beth stammered as she shook her head.

"I'm tellin' you, it's a good idea." Sadie reiterated. "There's more people now can read than can't. There are actually whole stores that sell nothin' but books!"

"I don't know Sadie, I've never been that good." Mary-Beth told her. "I swear, I hear these wonderful words in my head, and by the time they get to my pen, they come out as pure poppycock!"

"Who gives a shit? People buy poppycock!" Sadie pointed out. "I saw one of Jack's books the other day, some bullshit about how Landon Ricketts single-handedly fought off a bunch of zombies…whatever the hell they are."

"That ain't the kind of stuff I write…"

"No, but the stuff you write is popular too." Sadie tried to assure her. "Books that get people all hot and bothered, the kind of thing people hide when the local Reverend comes to visit, they sell tons!"

"I…I don't know, I just don't know if my stories are any good." Mary-Beth replied. Sadie took her hand.

"Trust me, I've read some of 'em. They're good." Sadie reassured her. "I don't think I've ever read a whole book cover to cover, but some of the stuff you've left lyin' around…well…some of it made me think of Jake."

"It…it did?" She asked. Sadie just nodded.

"Some of the stuff it brought back…it were some of the best times of my life." Sadie told her. Mary-Beth was about to say something, but fell silent. Sadie could feel a presence lingering nearby and turned to see Micah coming over, swigging some bourbon. She just sighed.

"You two hens been cluckin' for quite a while." Micah remarked. "It makes me wonder when either of you are gonna get any work done."

"It ain't like you've been doin' much either." Sadie snorted in disgust. "Most of the time it's Arthur or Bill or John you got runnin' around."

"Some of us do our best work up here." Micah said, tapping a finger to his head. "Besides, my boys'll be here soon, then you'll see what real gunmen are."

"If they rode with you, I don't think they're likely to be much of any kind of men." Sadie responded, getting a laugh from Tilly, Mary-Beth and Abigail. Micah just looked around them all.

"Ain't you all got work to do?" He asked. They all just sloped off to get away from him. Sadie held back just a little to stop Micah following too closely. He did keep his attention on her.

"You know, you've been spendin' a lot of time around here." Micah remarked. "Funny thing, I had myself a real interestin' conversation with the Mexican."

Sadie just maintained her poise, but she was starting to worry about this. She'd spoken with most of the gang now. She was mostly subtle, not really wanting to give anyone any reason to think she was trying to break up the gang, but some of her conversations had been more productive than others. Bill and Javier had been with Dutch much longer than most of the rest, and it seemed like talking to them even the idea of leaving seemed an alien concept. Of course she hadn't thought either of them would relay her conversation with them to Micah of all people. Both of them hated Micah almost as much as she did…or so she thought at least.

"Really?" She asked. "And what exactly was Javier saying?"

"You know, round about now there's a lot of talk, a lot of worry about who's loyal." Micah replied in a cold tone. "You know what we do to traitors?"

"You accusin' me of somethin' Micah Bell?" She asked. "Because if you are, just come out and say it. Just be ready to back those words up."

"SADIE!" Charles called from the edge of camp as he rode in. Micah just smiled as he saw him coming over. Charles came in close, standing over Micah, bringing his full height to bear to glare down on him. Micah just coughed to clear his throat.

"Mr Smith, I was begginin' to forget you ride with us." Micah told him. "All that time you spend up at the reservation with the Natives."

"Dutch is stirring up shit so much someone's got to stop the young fools from getting themselves killed." Charles stated.

"I just thought you might be forgetting who you ride with." Micah stated.

"I know fine enough." Charles told him. "You got a problem? Talk to Dutch."

Micah looked between the two, before letting out a little laugh and walking away. Sadie just watched him go.

"That snake sure gives me the creeps." She stated.

"Me too." Charles agreed. "I really wish you wouldn't rattle his cage."

"Charles…" She started, but quickly stopped herself. She hadn't really seen him since she rode out of Waipiti to join Dutch in going to Colm's hanging. She had been so focused on Colm and his followers that she had left him on bad terms. Their last words were exchanged in anger, something that she now regretted. Charles was a good friend, one that looked out for her, and now, after her moment of clarity after the massacre, realising what Dutch was, she was starting to think that was what Charles was trying to warn her about all along. "…look, I…"

"You seen Arthur?" He asked her. She just furrowed her brows.

"Not recently." She answered. "Last I heard he were heading out to Bacchus Bridge with John."

"I'll see if I can catch up to him." He replied.

"Look, Charles…"

"If he gets back here before I do, will you tell him to meet me in Waipiti?" He asked her. "Rains Fall and I need his help."

"Look, Charles, you really shouldn't be askin' so much of Arthur." She told him. Now it was his turn to glare at her. She'd never seen anger in his eyes directed at her other than that day at Waipiti.

"Who else am I gonna ask?" He asked her. "It's not like Bill or Javier or Dutch give a shit about Eagle Flies or the others."

"Well, how about me?" Sadie asked. Charles just looked to her and shook his head.

"I need someone who can keep things quiet. They saw the smoke from Hanging Dog all the way up in the Grizzlies." He told her.

"Look, Arthur…" She started to say, before stopping herself. She was about to tell him about his illness, to explain why Arthur felt he needed to help everyone that asked, even if it wasn't the best thing for him. As tough as he was, even Arthur had his limits, and he already knew his time was short. "What's going on?"

"That damn fool Eagle Flies got himself arrested after that stupid stunt Dutch pulled." Charles ranted. "Now he's going to be hung, unless someone stops him, and the only way I can stop any more brave, stupid boys getting on their horses and riding out to the damn fort is because I promised to do it instead."

"Charles…"

"Damn it Sadie, if they go to that fort it'll be a bloodbath!" He yelled at her, before seeing her expression and backing down a little. Sadie gulped and took a deep breath.

"Look, I can…"

"No, you've got a lot of talents Sadie, but something like this requires someone who's used to quiet jobs." Charles told him. "Just tell Arthur I'm looking…"

Just then, there was a huge explosion some distance away that echoed throughout the entire region. Large plumes of smoke could be seen coming up from a little way North West of the camp. It didn't take a genius to figure out the equation of bridge plus dynamite. Charles just sighed.

"Never mind, I'll find him myself." He told her, heading for his horse. Sadie ran after him.

"Charles!" She called out. He paused for a moment. She now had the problem of what to say now. She could tell he was still angry with her. Even if she did tell him about Arthur, would he listen? Would he think she was lying? Even then, she wasn't sure it was her place to tell him. It was Arthur's news to tell. "Just…be careful out there…and look after Arthur."

Charles looked like he wanted to say something, but ended up just wordlessly swinging himself up onto his horse and galloping away. As he left, Sadie just gathered her composure and headed back into the camp.

By the time morning came around, it seemed that the "noise" Dutch wanted was coming in full blast. The news of the Bacchus Bridge collapse was in all the papers. No one knew why anyone would destroy the bridge, but the disruption to the rail network was going to cost the State a significant sum. The entire rail network was now down until it was rebuilt.

There was also news of a daring night time raid on Fort Wallace. The details were sketchy, but it seemed unknown men sneaked in under the cover of darkness and rescued Eagle Flies. Sadie could only smile as she read about how a cannon had been fired inside the fort, blowing out one of the walls, before the men made a bloody escape along the rapids.

"Is that what you call quiet Charles?" She asked. She was interrupted as a cry went up from the edge of camp. Bill, who was on guard duty fired a round in the air, before bellowing out a warning.

"Who goes there?" He demanded. "If you fellers don't want another hole in your heads, you better turn around now!"

"Settle down Williamson, these two are friends." Micah said as he came towards them, reaching out and shaking hands with each of them in turn. The three men laughed as they greeted each other. Sadie just sighed as Tilly came over to her.

"Those Micah's friends?" She asked. Sadie just nodded.

"Looks like it." She responded. Micah had been telling them he'd sent words to old friends of his to come join the gang.

"I don't like the looks of them." Tilly said with a shudder. "Even the Foreman boys didn't give me the creeps like them."

Sadie could see exactly what Tilly meant by that. They both looked every bit as creepy as Micah, only with even more questionable personal hygiene. One of them was smaller, quite skinny, with an angular, sharp face that reminded Sadie for all the world of a rat. He had thin, straggly hair combed redundantly over his head under his hat.

The other one was larger, only a little smaller than Bill, but with an ugly, mashed up face that looked like it had seen a lot of violence. His large, flat nose was unmistakably the result of having been broken many times. He had a distinct tattoo on his chest, most likely a prison marking of some kind.

"Dutch, these here are the boys I told you about. This here is Cleet," he began, gesturing to the smaller one, "and Joe. Gather around people! I'll show you what some real men look like!"

Sadie just snorted derisively. The only thing she could think was that now, she had three people to keep an eye on instead of just Micah. She was mostly on good terms with the others, but ingratiating more of his old crew into the gang just didn't sit well. It was like he was bolstering his own position with loyal toadies in case there came a time people needed to make choices.

"Come on Pearson." Sadie stated. "I'll help you cook dinner."

By the time the following morning came around, Arthur and Charles had returned. After a long day for both of them, they'd both needed to rest up. Sadie set herself up for the day overlooking Arthur's tent. She could see Micah, Cleet and Joe sitting nearby and kind of looking over to him and talking in hushed whispers among themselves. If they really were up to no good, they likely saw Arthur as their biggest threat. She would show them the error in that judgement if they wanted to make a move, but for now she was more worried about her friend.

Arthur had been on the go a lot, but even beyond that she noticed he was sleeping more and more. His body was starting to give way to his illness, and she didn't know how long he could keep up the pace he was going. If it was anyone else, she wasn't sure they would still be going.

She heard someone behind her and looked around, seeing Abigail behind her. She sat with her.

"We've been talkin' and…we think it's time." Abigail told her. "Whatever…this…is, it ain't what we joined all those years ago."

"I can make sure that no one follows." Sadie assured her. Abigail shook her head.

"The rest of us can go hang for all Dutch cares, but if he's goin' for a train, he ain't gonna let John go." Abigail told her.

"Look, Abigail, you and John…"

"We're stayin' right here until that train's robbed whether we like it or not." Abigail told her. "Dutch already thinks there's a rat. If John runs off right before this, he's gonna think it was John for sure."

"But Molly…"

"He thinks there might be another…hell, for all I know he thinks we're all rats." Abigail whispered. "He's always talkin' about loyalty and traitors and…it's all real worrying."

"So, what about the rest?" Sadie asked.

"Tilly's stayin' to help me and the boy get everything we need away from here so that by the time the train's robbed John just goes somewhere and don't come back." Abigail continued. "Mary-Beth, Uncle and Pearson are the first. They're goin' real soon. They just need a distraction."

Sadie watched as Arthur got out of bed, coughing as he shakily got to his feet.

"Tell 'em to be ready to move." Sadie instructed her. "I have a feelin' you won't need to wait too long for that distraction."

Arthur was starting to compose himself, getting himself ready for the day ahead when he noticed Micah and his two running-buddies staring at him. He started to trudge over towards Dutch. As he went, his gaze never shifted from Micah and his boys. Others seemed to notice too, because a number of them started to pay attention, like they were waiting for something to begin. There was a time Sadie would have had no doubt everyone would be behind Arthur if he decided to make a move, but now…now she could only be sure of herself. She wished the others had already left.

Sadie got her revolver and gestured Abigail away. She didn't hear much of the conversation, but by the time she got over, Micah was right in Arthur's face.

"You should show him a little respect." Micah sneered.

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked coldly as others all closed around. Sadie was getting ready for the first shot, fully intending it to go straight between Micah's eyes if needed, but before anything else could happen, there was a thunder of hooves.

"Mr Van Der Linde!" Eagle Flies called out as he arrived with what was unmistakably a war party. He still bore the marks of his imprisonment, but as well as that, he and his fellow braves were fully decked out in war paint and armed for war. She'd only ever heard of it before, but never seen it. Now though, there was no way anyone could doubt they were out for blood. "Mr Morgan, Charles! They tried to kill my people for oil!"

Sadie was taken aback by this. She'd heard that efforts were being made to move the Natives on because of rumours of oil, but was he saying the army was involved? Cornwall had hired an army of Pinkertons, but the ACTUAL army? She had no idea how the man's influence could continue to cause misery even after he'd been killed.

"Today we ride once more!" Eagle Flies yelled angrily as he rode around in a frenzy. The way he was worked up was eerily familiar to Sadie. She could only imagine it was exactly how she looked when she was riding for Hanging Dog. "Ride with me, ride with us! Ride with us against the factory!"

The factory…Cornwall's oil refinery in The Heartlands. That's where all of this had started, with documents Arthur found there. It made sense it would be where it ended. With Cornwall gone, all that remained of the man was his legacy, and Eagle Flies wanted to see that go up in flames.

"I love your courage, son! It is a thing of great beauty!" Dutch chimed in cheerfully, either glad to have something to distract from the fight brewing in the camp, or because he somehow saw another way to turn another angry young fool into a weapon. Another feeling that was all too familiar to Sadie.

"STOP!" Rains Fall pleaded as he rode in, dismounting from his horse and desperately trying to get his people to listen to him. "My son, my last son, don't. When I was your age, I fought. I saw death. I have killed, the men I knew were slain."

Sadie relaxed her grip on her revolver a little, hearing the old man begging with his son not to go. She couldn't hear weakness in him, only sadness. Only love, the love of a father who saw his son riding off on a senseless mission.

"My first born, your brother, had his head smashed by a drunken soldier." Eagle Flies continued to speak, his eyes filled with tears. "My wife had her throat slit. We made peace. I knew not to trust, yet I had no choice."

Sadie glanced over towards Charles. She didn't know why, but as she listened to Rains Fall, she could only think of the night when he begged her not to ride with Dutch.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe a slow death is worse than a fast one. Maybe none of these men are good. Maybe a world in which they come to us is a world we cannot endure, but endure we must!"

Sadie looked to Eagle Flies, who was already shaking his head and looking away. Rains Fall's words were falling on deaf, unwilling ears.

"Father you are tired." Eagle Flies said derisively.

"Do not die for pride my son!" Rains Fall begged him. "We have suffered too long in this trick."

Now Sadie could only look at Dutch as she heard this.

"The earth, the water, they have no pride. They endure, and we must endure." He carried on. "My only boy, my precious boy, do not mistake my strength for weakness. As your chief, I implore you."

"Your words mean nothing to me father." He yelled, before looking back to his war party. "Ride with me, now!"

As Eagle Flies rode out, his father begging with him to stop, Sadie could see the look on Dutch's face, and could almost see the wheels in his head turning. The oil refinery, the army, Cornwall…all of it was coming together in his head. She didn't really hear what Rains Fall was saying to Arthur as he begged him to try and stop his son from being killed. She could only watch Dutch. Before she knew what was happening, everyone was getting on their horses to ride out.

As Sadie leapt onto her horse, she just looked to Abigail and gave a curt nod. Abigail returned the gesture. Sadie didn't know what Hell they were riding into, but at least she knew by the time they came back, at least some of the others would have taken their opportunity to get out before it was too late.


	45. Blood and Oil

"OK, we're going this way." Sadie said as they reached a fork in the road, gesturing down one of the paths. "Blackwater ain't much further. We can book a room when we get there."

"I thought you didn't like hotels." Levin commented.

"Round here I make an exception." She told him, fetching out her repeater. "The Great Plains might look deserted, but there are cougars out here."

"Cougars?" He asked, with a note of panic in his voice. She just nodded.

"Thing about cougars is, you don't see them, they see you." She said sagely, leaning in and whispering reassuringly to her horse. "This old girl gets a little skittish around 'em, so we should know in good time if there are any but...still don't pay to hang around out near Beecher's if you can help it."

"You sound like you've got experience of such matters." He said, looking around warily. Like many people of the era, he did travel with a weapon, but right now his cattleman, which he had fortunately yet to fire in anger, felt more than a little inadequate. Levin preferred reading and writing about gunplay to actually taking part in it. If any of his protagonists was in a bind, he could easily tear out a page or re-write a few lines to get them out of it without any blood being spilt. In real life though, there were no re-edits if that particular chapter didn't go well.

"A cougar got the jump on me a couple a' years back." She told him. "Fortunately another hunter were nearby. He got himself a nice pelt, and I spent the next couple a' weeks laid up and a lot of money in medicine. I'd show you the scars but...well...they ain't somewhere I can show without undressin' and as much as I like you, I don't like you that much Mr Levin."

"You like me?" He asked with a little bit of a smile. He caught the faintest hint of a smile from her in response.

"You're growin' on me." She responded. "Most of the travellin' companions I have aren't so friendly to talk to. Then again usually I am takin' 'em to jail or the gallows so you can understand that."

"Speaking of unfriendly..."

"Yeah, that were...that were some day alright." Sadie answered, casting her mind back.

Back in the past, the Van Der Linde Gang rode out of Roanoake, blazing a trail towards the Heartlands. It was the first time Sadie had ridden with the whole gang at once, and it was quite a thing to behold. Dutch Van Der Linde, Bill Williamson, Javier Escuela, Charles Smith, John Marston, Arthur Morgan...all legends in their own right, some of the most feared and legendary outlaws the country had ever seen riding into war. Dutch's sermons had created a congregation of sorts, and driven them to a level of strength and devotion that defied sanity. There were men in Government that could never inspire the loyalty of people so strong in their entire lives.

It didn't seem real to her now, to think how he had even spurred her on to his side in the few months she'd been with the gang. Even now it was only days since she'd started to see the mask slip and seen what Dutch truly was, a man with a talent for finding the broken and the lost and turning them into dangerous and fanatical followers. Only a couple of weeks before she'd have taken it as a great honour to ride with the Van Der Linde Gang, but now...now she was riding for Arthur.

As much as the gang was together, the ride continued to demonstrate the cracks that were showing in the gang. Arthur had already stated that the gang was pretty much over, and now that he knew his time was growing shorter, he was trying to save those he could in the time he had left. He'd set his sights on John, Abigail and Jack, but Sadie was already hoping to encourage the others to go too. She had given the nod to Mary-Beth to try and slip out with those that could as soon as they were gone, but with Micah, Cleet and Joe remaining at the camp, she could only hope that she could somehow slip out before they realised that there were people gone.

"What else have you been doing behind my back?" Dutch asked accusingly, calling over the thundering hooves of The Count. The mood in the gang had been building now for a while, and it was no longer a secret that the rift was widening between Arthur and Dutch. Dutch was referring to the fact Arthur had gone to Waipiti to help Rains Fall try to avert a war with the army. Unsuccessfully unfortunately, but the fact he'd done it at all, Dutch seemed to take as a betrayal. Eagle Flies was just another person he used, an angry, foolish young man that Dutch had egged on to create the distraction he was hoping for to cover the gang's escape. What happened to him after that though, Sadie doubted he cared about.

"I was trying to stop this mess from getting worse!" Arthur protested defiantly. Sadie could only glance around the gang as they rode. Arthur was trying to stop Eagle Flies starting a war that would likely see his people annihilated. Whether he could defeat Favours or not was immaterial, Natives destroying an army garrison would only bring more soldiers, far more than they would ever be able to stand against. Dutch, however, only saw Arthur interfering in his plan to use the war as a distraction for his own plans. "Clearly that didn't work! Why the hell would they attack the oil fields?"

"What do you mean? It's perfect!" Dutch responded.

"This was your idea?" Arthur asked him. It wasn't as though Sadie could doubt it was the kind of thing he would do, even she had to think that this felt a lot more like Eagle Flies' idea.

"Partly...the army, the government, the industrialists, they've taken everything from these people." Dutch preached. Sadie could see the same charisma, the same gospel that attracted people to him, but now she saw it in a new light. He was the minister of his own flock, the leader of a cult that wormed his way into the minds and hearts of those that needed somewhere to belong. Like those preachers who whipped up crowds into frothing, frenzied acts of violence. Glancing around, she was now seeing that the two men were fighting far more than each other, they were fighting for the hearts and souls of the gang. They both knew that the time was coming that people would choose to follow Arthur or Dutch. She glanced around the gang. She already knew which side she was on, but the others...she was trying to figure out.

"You've handed them a death sentence." Arthur put down flatly. "Just like John, if we hadn't gotten him out of that prison!"

Sadie glanced towards John, seeing him remain quiet, though noticeably perk up at the mention of his name. All of Arthur's efforts were for him, if John didn't side with him, then it was all for nothing.

"Hey, show some God damn respect!" Bill spat out. Sadie locked onto the huge man, seeing the burning in his eyes as he looked at Arthur. As much as Sadie didn't doubt who would come out on top, she was now in little doubt which side Bill would come down on if push came to shove. That was one that she needed to watch.

"You'll know when I ain't showing respect Bill!" Arthur responded gruffly. It seemed like it wasn't lost on Arthur that Bill had made his decision.

Sadie didn't hear much of the rest of what was said. She was too busy trying to decide who was likely to turn on Arthur and who was likely to side with him. Charles, she felt in her heart she could rely on Charles. He knew what kind of man Dutch was; he had seen it up close in Waipiti. He had even tried to warn Sadie, though she was too thick-headed to listen to him at the time. John...she hoped he would side with his 'brother', but when that meant siding against his 'father', she wasn't quite so sure.

He heard words like loyalty and dissent being used, but she wasn't hearing the words, just seeing what they did. Javier was looking more to Bill than anyone else, and while she thought he might be questioning, if he was looking to Bill for guidance, she didn't want to stake her life on him joining them.

"Look, up ahead! It's one of them!" Charles called out. They could see one of the braves heading towards them, slumped over in his saddle. He was bleeding so heavily that it was staining his horse. Only the fact the horse wasn't favouring any of its legs let Sadie know that it wasn't the horse's blood.

"You alright son?" Arthur asked.

"Eagle Flies. He needs help!" The young Brave panted. "They all need help..."

"Somebody help him!" Arthur called out.

"No...no, go...please help him!" The Brave begged them, steadying himself on the saddle. "I'll be..."

"Come on!" Arthur called out as they rode past. Sadie spurred on her horse as they passed him, never once turning back. She still had no idea if he made it back to the reservation or not.

The rest of the way, not a word was spoken between the gang, but a lot of looks were exchanged. By the time they came out of the hills, even a couple of miles out, they could see and hear the battle raging.

The oil fields, the very epicentre of Cornwall's old empire was ablaze, the smoke and the deep red glow extending so far it was said afterwards they could be seen as far away as Valentine. Gunfire rang out over the plains and the air itself started to get thick and choking the closer they got. It was as close to Hell as Sadie could imagine ever existing.

They pulled up a little way out, by some Braves who had managed to ride away from the refinery, but started to regroup when they saw Charles. They'd seen him help them often enough that his presence stopped their flight and encouraged them to return. The smoke and the heat ripples making it difficult to see. Arthur and Charles pulled out their binoculars.

"It's a massacre!" Charles said with a pained expression, one borne of anger and dread. This was exactly what Rains Fall had wanted to avoid. The soldiers of Fort Wallace were a holding regiment, barely more than boys straight from the recruiting office, but under the command of Colonel Favours, an aging man whose career had faded during the war, desperate to claim back some glory before he retired and sought to do it by provoking a war he could win with the Natives. The pride and the hatred on both sides was more than enough to spur on a blood bath.

"Can anyone see Eagle Flies?" Arthur asked.

"There, going across the walkway!" Charles answered, pointing. Dutch looked to both men, a distinct note of disgust in his expression.

"You got what you wanted Dutch." Arthur growled as he put away his binoculars.

"You coming Arthur?" Dutch asked, gesturing to the main offices.

"I'm gonna go try and save him!" Arthur replied. "This fight is unwinnable! If you go and distract them and let me get to him." Dutch glared at Arthur for a good few moments. Sadie's hand slipped towards her revolver.

"Have it your way." Dutch replied. "The rest of you, ride with me! Let's meet up at the factory! LET'S RIDE!"

Dutch, Javier, Bill and John all rode off, leaving the Braves, Charles and Sadie with Arthur. She wasn't going to leave his side, not now. He looked to Charles.

"Go with him, try and help there!" Arthur beckoned him. "I'm better off alone."

Sadie was already shaking her head. She knew why Arthur wanted to go alone. He knew his time was coming soon enough, he didn't care if he made it back or not, but the others, he didn't want them riding straight into the most dangerous part of the battle. Sadie was not about to let him take on the fight by himself no matter how much he insisted.

"We're riding with you." Charles responded simply. He was of the same mind, and he respected Arthur so much he was never going to abandon him. Sadie drew her repeater from the saddle. Arthur looked to them, before nodding.

"Come on then!" Arthur called out, spurring on his horse. They all rode straight into the heart of the battle, towards the flames. The heat was intense as they approached, and there were already heavy losses on both sides. Getting to the heart of the battle, they leapt off their horses and set them running. There was no point in the poor beasts being brought into this as well.

Sadie took careful aim with her repeater as they rushed towards the buildings. The whole refinery was built around a couple of towers and a railway line, with a few buildings and walkways dotted around. The smell was the most foul and evil thing Sadie could ever recall, between the burning and the spilling oil. Soldiers fell before them as they charged through the refinery in a desperate search for Eagle Flies. Arthur was the one that found him, wrestling on one of the walkways with a soldier for control of a revolver. Not wanting to wait to see if Eagle Flies could best him, Arthur blew the soldier's brains out, before running over to him.

"Arthur." He said in surprise, seeing him.

"Get up!" Arthur ordered him, looking around for more soldiers.

"Thank you..."

"We need to go!" Arthur told him.

"Where are my men?" Eagle Flies demanded. "Where are my men?"

"We saw some fighting by the factory!" Sadie told him as she shot a soldier. Sure, they were fighting, fighting in a pointless battle that Eagle Flies had thrown them into that was going to get them all killed.

"That's where Dutch has gone." Arthur reassured him. "Come on, let's go!"

Sadie watched as Eagle Flies and Arthur ran back into the fray. She was angry that Eagle Flies had thrown his men into this massacre, but she had to respect that he was trying to get them back out of it and not just abandoning them to their fate. She looked to Charles, who was retrieving a tomahawk from the skull of a soldier. He nodded to her as he reloaded his sawn-off and they both rushed to back up Arthur. He might have been dying, but Sadie was determined he wasn't going to die today, not like this.

Favours might have had a regiment of raw recruits, but it was a regiment nonetheless. They just seemed to be pouring out from all directions as they worked their way towards the factory building. As soon as one went down, it seemed like there was another one ready to take his place. Sadie was knocked to the ground by one of them she hadn't seen coming from the side, but as soon as her hat fell off and he saw she was a woman, the boy hesitated. It wasn't a mistake that Sadie repeated, firing off her revolver through the bottom of her holster into his gut.

She heard an unearthly racket and some yelling and turned in time to see a train rolling in and the doors opening. Her eyes widened as she saw a Gatling gun on the back. She was barely able to dive for cover as the gunner cranked the handle, chucking out lead that tore through everything in its path, even some of his own unit! In his panic, he was levelling everything before him.

Arthur picked his spot, putting a shot straight through the man's forehead, mercifully before the man managed to hit one of the tanks. They were standing up to the heat of the flames, but she doubted they'd take the Gatling gun! They resumed the battle, helping the Braves that were still able to fight back to their feet and rounding the main building. They rejoined Dutch and the others.

"I don't see none of them standing no more!" Dutch called out to Arthur. Looking around that seemed to be the case. There were more soldiers riding in, but it looked like there were no more in the refinery. Sadie took up position behind some barrels and hunkered in to defend their position. She could see Arthur and Dutch talking. It hardly seemed the time for it. Right now it seemed more like the time to run like hell while any of them were still alive. Then she saw Arthur and Dutch disappearing into the factory. What the hell were they doing?

"Mrs Adler, if you wouldn't mind using that repeater of yours that would be greatly appreciated!" Bill yelled at her. Sadie shook her head clear and got back to the task at hand. Whatever Dutch and Arthur were up to in the factory, now wasn't the time to worry about it. Now was the time to stop some lucky kid barely out of short trousers from blowing her head off!

"Jesus, I thought this was just a joke regiment!" Javier called out, echoing the thoughts they were all having. "How many more of these bastards are there?"

"I just hope they run out of men before I run out of bullets!" John called back. They heard a crash as Bill wrestled one to the ground.

"WHO?" He called out, driving the man's head into a rock. "NEEDS?" He drove his head into it again. "BULLETS?"

The man's skull caved in under Bill's massive hands.

"Look, they're...they're turning tail!" John called out, allowing himself a little laugh.

"Hey...he's right!" Javier agreed. "Lookit! They're runnin' like scalded dogs!"

"I guess it's true, even the US Army ain't a match for the Van Der Linde Gang!" Bill agreed, taking up his bolt-action rifle and taking some shots at the remaining men as they ran. "Run doggies, run!"

They all heard some more gunshots, this time coming from inside the factory, followed by a loud bang. Dutch staggered out of the back door of the factory.

"Dutch! What happened?" John asked him.

"Favours...he got the drop on us." Dutch panted, looking at the factory. "A pipe burst, I couldn't get to him...Arthur..."

"We need to..."

"No...I think...I think Favours got him. I think maybe they got each other." Dutch told them. "We need to go..."

"ARTHUR!" Sadie called out as she saw the door being kicked open. Arthur came out, carrying the bleeding, injured form of Eagle Flies. As he came out, his eyes were locked on Dutch, burning a whole lot hotter with sheer rage than the entire refinery. Dutch looked to him.

"We need to go."

"You...you ran away." Arthur sneered in disgust.

"I did no such thing." Dutch protested. Sadie though just stared at Dutch. Was it possible? She knew that Dutch thought Arthur was trying to take control of the gang, but would he really just abandon him to his fate? "Don't be a fool. They'll be here any minute."

Arthur didn't respond, but instead continued to look on Dutch with a contempt Sadie had never seen in him before. It didn't go unnoticed by the others. Charles looked on in disgust. John started to look uneasily between the two men. Dutch instead just beamed brightly and held open his arms like he was looking for an embrace.

"We did it Gentlemen! We got some money, and with the train job, well we got a whole lot of money." He declared, appealing to their greed and desire for the new life he had been promising them all along, their land of milk and honey. Charles signalled to Paytah and together they helped Eagle Flies onto his horse. "Come on. Everything is coming together. Exactly as I planned."

This was a plan?

"I've got to take the boy to his father." Arthur said derisively.

"As you wish." Dutch said dismissively. "Usually is nowadays. Come on. We gotta get back to camp and prepare!"

As Arthur and Charles mounted up, they rode off with Paytah and Eagle Flies towards the reservation. Sadie considered going with them, but she could only think of one thing, the others back at the camp. She'd already asked some of them to leave, but she hadn't told all of them to go, knowing that it would look too suspicious if they all left at once. It was also uncertain if they would get away while Micah and his two rat-faced sycophants were keeping an eye on things. She looked to Charles, who just nodded gratefully, before riding off.

It was getting dark by the time they got back to the camp. Dismounting and hitching up, Dutch was beaming with glee. He pulled a stack of papers out of his waistcoat.

"Gentlemen, this right here is what it's all about. Thousands of dollars in State Bonds." Dutch declared proudly as his aching and weary gang looked to him for guidance. "Now we just need to hit that train, filled to bursting with military wages and we can leave this God Forsaken place once and for all! Did I not tell you I had this? Didn't I?"

There was a cheer going up from the others, and even a few celebratory gunshots, but Sadie couldn't help noticing that all John was interested in was going to Abigail and Jack. She saw Micah coming towards him with Cleet and Joe. "Micah! Sorry you had to miss this! MR PEARSON! Fix us all up something good to eat, because we are famished!"

"The cook's gone Dutch." Micah told him. Dutch just looked to him aghast. "The old man and Mary-Beth too."

"What?" He asked, before brushing past him. "Mr Pearson? Uncle? Ms Gaskill...?"

"They're gone Dutch!" Joe piped up...or was it Cleet? Sadie wasn't quite sure which was which. They were both so slimy she didn't see much difference. One of them was bigger...was that one Joe? Yeah, it was the bigger one; it was Joe that told him.

"What do you mean they're gone?" Dutch asked in a sinister, low tone.

"I mean I turn my back for five minutes and a whole bunch of our money goes missing." Micah informed him. "We find it a little way from camp, and by the time we're back, they're gone and so's all their stuff."

Sadie had to turn away to stop her smile being seen. Mary-Beth was a tremendous thief. She'd clearly used the missing money as a distraction to keep them busy while the others escaped. Now, only Abigail, Jack and Tilly were left, along with John if he could be convinced to go. Since Abigail was going to go, Sadie was sure he'd see sense and go too. At least, she hoped he would. Dutch let out a massive yell and kicked over a crate, spilling some cans of food on the ground. He started throwing around anything that wasn't nailed down in what amounted to a tantrum. Sadie could see the way everyone was staring at him. Dutch seemed to be aware of it too. He turned back to them and pointed at them.

"They...had...no...faith. No LOYALTY!" Dutch yelled at them. "Is a little God Damn loyalty too much to ask?"

They all just stared at him. Eventually Bill answered.

"All the way Dutch." Bill told him. Javier nodded.

"Right to the end." Javier agreed. If Sadie had any lingering doubts about where their loyalties lay, that was when they disappeared. Dutch took a few deep breaths as he tried to consider what to do next.

"Eat up and get some rest." Dutch told them. "Tomorrow, we have a train to rob."


	46. One Last God Damn Train

Sadie and Levin arrived in the city of Blackwater after dark. Even at this hour there was still a reasonable amount of activity in the city. Blackwater was one of the first major cities in the state, and was still something of a crowning jewel of West Elizabeth. It was the very border of where the modern world was slowly encroaching upon the ways of the past. Clean, new brick buildings were slowly pushing out older, wooden-frame structures. Store fronts had all-glass windows without those old style wooden slats in them. The streets were mainly cobbled, favouring wheeled transport over horses. Although the most popular form of transport was horse-drawn carriage, fewer and fewer people were simply riding horses and the stone streets were being built with a view to moving to a time of automobiles.

Blackwater had seen its share of hardships over the years though. The Blackwater Massacre, the infamous riverboat heist gone horrifically wrong that all but destroyed it still left its scars on the city to this day. One of the reasons there were so many new buildings was the fact many of the old ones were burned or irreparably damaged in the gun battle that saw dozens dead and the streets awash in blood. The graveyard was filled with entire families who had died within days of each other, many on the day of the shoot-out, but still more dying in the days afterwards with many being unable to be treated for their injuries in time. To look at the people wandering the streets today in the latest styles without a care in the world, it was difficult to believe this had been the site of a blood-bath that rivalled many battlefields.

"It's a lovely city isn't it?" Levin asked Sadie. "I don't think I'd mind living here if I didn't have a home in Baltimore." Sadie just shrugged.

"I never did see the appeal of livin' around so many people." She answered truthfully. "See, as much as people like to dress it up, I don't reckon people were meant to live in real big groups for any length of time. There comes a point where the differences between people just seem too big and then bad stuff starts happenin'."

"You think it's a bad thing people are different?" He asked her sceptically.

"No, I don't. Life would be damn boring if everyone were the same." Sadie replied. "But the way I see it, if one person's different than another person, that ain't a problem. If ten people are different from ten people, then each group gets to talkin' about how different they both are instead of just gettin' on with things. You get a few hundred people talkin' about how different a few hundred others are and…well…sooner or later all those folks talkin' about differences just inspire some asshole with a bad idea and all of them eggin' each other on until it don't seem such a bad idea."

"I suppose given all you've told me it's not surprising you're a little bit of a pessimist." Levin said, before looking to her apologetically. "I meant no offence."

"I don't know. Jake always believed that sooner or later people would start realisin' that their differences didn't mean so much and they'd all just start thinkin' more about what they could accomplish together instead of beatin' each other senseless." She told him. "I guess at times I like to think it might happen, but if it does, I'll probably be long dead in the ground."

They hitched their horses up outside the saloon, at which Sadie headed to the bar to book the rooms. Levin looked around the room and smiled. This was much more like his natural habitat. Civilisation with all the trimmings. No cowboys still caked in inches of mud from their days in the fields, no old, bawdy drinking songs, just a city full of people of the twentieth century, who likely only thought about the Wild West in terms of dime novels and as a novelty of yester year. Sadie came back to him, tossing him a key.

"Got us a couple of rooms." She told him.

"It's still quite early." He responded. "Would you like to continue the story? I could buy us some drinks and…"

"Uh…to be honest, this is a few more people than I'm normally comfortable bein' around." She told him. "I was thinkin' of turnin' in. I want to talk to the local sheriff in the mornin'."

"Well, yes, I suppose it is a bit crowded in here." He replied. "How about I order a bottle and we retire to one of the rooms?"

"Mr Levin, you make a proposition like that to a woman and people might talk." Sadie teased him.

"Oh, no I didn't mean that." He stammered. "It's just…you can't leave the story there tonight surely?"

"Get a bottle of the Kentucky." She responded. "And ask for the stuff from the top shelf. The stuff on the other shelves is always watered. I'm in 103."

Levin went to the bar, waiting patiently for the barman, who greeted him with a warm smile.

"So, what'll it be?" He asked.

"I'd like a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon for the room…the stuff from the top shelf please." Levin told him. "Is the kitchen still open?"

"Not really, but if I'm quick, maybe the cook won't have thrown out the last of the stew." The barman replied. "I'll be right back."

Levin waited by the bar for barman to return. While he did, he had a quick look over his notes. He'd started this journey with Sadie in the hopes of getting a simple tale of how she had become a bounty hunter, and yet now he had heard a story that seemed to lift the veil over some of the most infamous incidents in the state's history. The Hanging Dog Massacre, the Saint Denis shootout, the Cornwall Oil Refinery shootout. If he heard it from anyone else, he'd be struggling to believe it was true. He'd spent long enough with Calloway and more to know that people often told incredibly fanciful tales of their own lives, but when they did the most common mistake, they made was to place themselves on too high of a pedestal. Taking on entire regiments with only a six-shooter was the kind of thing that only ended in anything other than a very quick death in a hail of bullets in dime novels and penny dreadfuls but to hear Calloway talk, one would be expected to believe he was able to shoot bullets out of the air. Sadie's tale had a strange air about it, one that felt real to him. The bartender put down a tray with two plates and the bottle.

"There you go." He told him. "Leave the tray outside the room when you're done, I'll pick it up before I go home."

Levin thanked the man, handing him some cash, before heading up to the room. He had to kick the door since his hands were full, but as Sadie opened the door, she smiled, gesturing him inside.

"I was sure we must have missed the kitchen." She said, taking one of the dishes. "Man, that smells good. I am famished."

"I was somewhat hungry myself." Levin admitted as he sat down. Sadie unbuckled her gun-belt, laying it over the back of a chair before starting to eat. She rolled her eyes.

"There ain't much about this city I like, but the food is damn good." She commented. Levin started to pour the drinks. "Now, where were we? Oh, don't tell me, yeah, I remember…"

Levin got his pen and got ready to write.

Back in the past, Sadie was awake early and cleaning and preparing her weapons for the day ahead. She didn't know too many details, Dutch was really not telling many people much these days, ever since he started to suspect that there was a rat in the camp. The sudden disappearance of many of his gang didn't help his paranoia much, and so he was keeping a distinct series of circles around himself as to who he told what details. Only Micah seemed to be in on the full plan, while Bill and Javier seemed to be told only a little more than anyone else was. All Sadie knew was that they were hitting a train bound for Bacchus Station.

John and Arthur had blown up Bacchus Bridge some time back, which had caused untold havoc to the entire rail network. None of the usual passenger trains were running and there wasn't any real word on when they would resume service other than after the repairs took place. Since the entire bridge, which took several years to build in the first place, was now in the ravine, that didn't really reassure anyone.

The army though still needed supplies and still needed to be paid. Even though Favours, along with a significant portion of his garrison was now dead, the Government would not take long to re-man the fort. A train full of soldiers' wages would be carrying thousands in cold, hard cash, which was exactly what they would need. No more bonds papers, no more jewellery or gold or wagons to fence, cash. Enough that by the time the Government did have the replacement guard in place, the Van Der Linde Gang would have bought passage to some wonderful new country where they would live out their days in peace thinking of nothing but farming fruit. It only occurred to Sadie now for some reason that Dutch never seemed to check if anyone knew anything about growing fruit, and somehow, she doubted Bill knew where he'd even get the seeds from a banana.

Arthur came riding back into the camp. He was looking worse than ever as far as Sadie could see. He was slightly slumped in his saddle, and his flesh was pallid. As he got off his horse, he wobbled a bit on his feet. Sadie came over towards him.

"Arthur." She greeted him with a hug. "Are you alright? You look…"

"Like I'm dyin'?" He asked her, spluttering a little as he laughed. "Yeah, I guess I do. The ride down were a little longer and harder than I recall."

"Mary-Beth, Pearson and Uncle got out." Sadie whispered to him. "I reckon with all that's goin' on today the others should be able to slip out while we're…"

Sadie's words tailed off as she started looking around. There was someone who was very conspicuous by his absence.

"Arthur, where's Charles?" She asked him.

"Charles ain't comin' back." Arthur told her. The news hit her like a hammer straight between the eyes. She was starting to see the lines drawn in the camp, and she didn't like the way they were lining up. Where John's head was at was still anyone's guess, she could only hope that Abigail had managed to talk some sense into him. Javier and Bill would gladly ride off what was left of Bacchus Bridge if Dutch told them to, more fool them. The deck was heavily stacked, and Charles was the only one she could count on to be with them if things turned sour either during the job or directly after. She'd never have thought of him abandoning them now.

"He…he just left?" She asked him.

"Eagle Flies didn't make it." Arthur told her in a sad sigh. "Brave, stupid young fool got back to the reservation just in time to die in front of his father. I think that were the last straw for Charles. He told me he don't want anythin' to do with the money from the refinery. The Natives need to get out of here before the new regiment get in. Charles decided he were goin' with them."

"He really ain't comin' back?" Sadie asked, feeling her chest tighten up a little. She had always thought of Charles being a strong, brave and dependable man, but everyone had their limits. She knew he felt a deep connection to the Lakota, even though they weren't really his tribe. He had always felt like he was being pulled between Dutch and the Natives right up until the start of the war. That was what made him see Dutch for what he really was. He didn't care if the Natives were slaughtered if it gave him the distraction he needed, and that never sat well with Charles. In the end, it seemed, even Charles Smith had reached his limit. He had made his choice, and to him it was more important to see the tribe to safety than to return to a dying gang. "Where are they headed?"

"North." Arthur responded. "They're a lot kinder to the Natives up there than they are down here. Not that that would be too hard."

"I…can't believe he ain't comin' back." Sadie responded. She was troubled to think that the number of people she could count on was now down to just her and Arthur, but she couldn't help feeling sad to think that Charles was gone. She understood why he left, but if he had stayed for that one more job, or…or even just came back to say goodbye. Arthur touched her shoulder and moved her aside as he headed towards Dutch's tent. The way everyone left looked around at him as he strode purposefully towards Dutch's tent it was as though they were expecting him to make a move. They didn't know that Arthur had no interest in taking over the gang from Dutch. To him, the gang, the life he'd lived, the code, everything he had cared about was as dead as he was going to be some time very soon.

"Well, at least you ain't run off." Dutch greeted him without any pretence of civility in his tone. Sadie could only see a desperate old man clinging to the last vestiges of something wasn't yet ready to admit was already gone.

"What are you talkin' about?" Arthur asked. Sadie knew that he knew all too well, she'd just told him she had sent the others away. Only Tilly, Abigail, Jack and Ms Grimshaw remained, and Ms Grimshaw was with Dutch so long no one dared say anything to her in case she saw fit to side with him. She kept a close eye on Micah and his two friends as they kept watch over their meeting.

"They are God damn cowards Arthur!" Dutch said as he got up and started pacing impatiently. Dutch had always said that people were free to leave if they chose. His only rule was that if someone chose to leave, they never speak about any of the gang as long as they lived. That was all. If they did, then they would silence them, just like Molly, but other than that, he was insistent people could leave any time. Looking at the intensity in him now, she could only be thankful that Mary-Beth had slipped the others out without Dutch's knowledge and didn't test that theory. "Of all the times to run off…"

"Well, I guess they didn't want to die!" Arthur interrupted him rather abruptly. Arthur had well and truly lost any of his illusions about Dutch, and knowing that his end was coming soon anyway, he no longer cared about the consequences of speaking plainly. Sadie's gaze shifted from Micah to John, who was watching the whole thing with one hand around Jack, and another in Abigail's. She could only hope that Arthur's example was finally getting through to him.

"Ain't nobody gonna…" He said, before looking around and seeing everyone staring. Micah, Cleet and Joe turned back to the table where they were eating, but Dutch could see John, Tilly, Ms Grimshaw and Sadie still watching. He guided Arthur around the back of the tent to continue talking. Sadie gripped her repeater and tried to measure up her firing lines to everyone in the camp. She wouldn't have been surprised if she'd heard a gunshot from behind the tent, and wanted to be ready if she needed to get those that wanted to leave out. She breathed a sigh of relief as they both came out.

"We have work to do my friends, let's go!" Dutch said, whipping up the remaining members of the gang. They all made their way to the horses, mounting up and preparing to head out. Sadie glanced to Abigail and gave a curt little nod. They now only had the manpower to hit the train, the camp would be unguarded except for Ms Grimshaw. This was what they were waiting for. Abigail, Tilly and Jack were going to be long gone by the time Dutch got back, and Ms Grimshaw too if she had any sense.

They were riding hard all the way to Saint Denis. It was while they were on the way Dutch decided to fill them in on the plan. Apparently, the train was going to stop in Saint Denis to pick up the last few supplies and then from there go to Bacchus. They knew the bridge was gone, so there'd be a patrol just up past Annesburg meaning they'd have a very short window of opportunity to stop the train and empty it before they had whole load of army to deal with.

Somewhere along the way, Arthur and John split off to go and collect the rest of the dynamite they'd need for the job. It would give Arthur a little time alone with John in which to tell him that Abigail was going. It was a hard conversation, but Abigail had told Sadie that one way or another, she and Jack had to go or they wouldn't survive the inevitable end of the gang. As much as it broke her heart, all she could do was hope that John would make the choice to go with them. Sadie was still not sure if Arthur would be able to convince John to go, or if John would come back alone and that would be all. At the very least they had saved as many as they could.

She didn't really listen to the conversation on the way. It didn't take long for her to realise everyone around her believed in Dutch's line of bullshit. They were all talking of what they would do with their share of the money. Javier and Bill were arguing about who would build the bigger house, though the thought of Bill building anything was frankly laughable as it was. Arthur and John joined back up with them a little way from Saint Denis. Sadie could only take it as a good sign they were both returning.

"Ah, there you are. You got everything?" Dutch asked them.

"Yeah." Arthur answered.

"Then off we go!"

"Off we go indeed." Arthur sighed.

"One last time Gentlemen, I've got us a riverboat. We'll head north to New York or Chicago, and then get a real boat from there out to the tropics."

"So long as it isn't Guarma." Arthur stated gruffly.

"Oh, it'll be paradise son!" Dutch assured his crew.

"It's all coming together, Dutch. Just like we planned." Micah agreed.

"Is that OK with you John? Arthur?" Dutch questioned them accusingly. "Or do you 'insist' on something different?"

"It sounds as good now as every time I heard it before." John answered. Sadie caught the expression on John's face as he said this, and noticed how tightly he was gripping the reins. Now, she was convinced Arthur must have gotten through to him. Either that or he knew he would have to go to the tropics without Abigail. She allowed herself a little smile as she saw the first glimmer of hope.

They finally got to the train station and dismounted, waiting on the train. It wasn't like it would be hard to spot since it would be the only train running. Sadie did think it was a little odd there were no soldiers around since it was meant to be stopping for some supplies. Sure, there were bound to be some waiting on the platform to oversee the loading surely?

"Alright, Cleet, Sadie, you board halfway along the train." Dutch began the rundown. Sadie was not happy about the fact she was being put with one of Micah's buddies as a partner. The little rat-faced shit gave her a smile that turned her stomach. "John, you and Arthur are gonna board at the back. The rest of you, follow Micah and I and join when they stop the train."

"Here she comes." Bill said, checking down the track. Sadie looked down the track to see the train coming in, fast, TOO fast! It rattled straight on through the station without any hint of slowing down. That's why there were no soldiers on the platform, the train was never stopping at the station at all. Arthur just shook his head and looked to Dutch as it rattled on past.

"Should we just sneak on now?" He asked sarcastically.

"Goddammit." Dutch growled.

"Well?" Micah asked.

"Everybody mount up!" Dutch ordered. Arthur grabbed his arm.

"We still going through with this?" He asked, questioning the sanity of the plan. It wasn't as though robbing a moving train was a new concept, but most train robbers at very least tended to try and board at points where the train was moving at low speed, such as at tight corners or switching points. Not when it was hitting full steam.

"Of course, we are!" Dutch screamed. With that, they all mounted up and rode after the train, spurring their horses as hard as they possibly could.


	47. The Van Der Linde Gang's Last Ride

Sadie had never attempted to rob a train before. The way the others talked about train robberies, it was one of the most difficult, dangerous and potentially lucrative jobs any outlaw could pull. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, trains were used for the vast majority of mass transit needs, meaning most were just dripping with mail, cash, deliveries, mail and all sorts of other things that would make even the most cautious of outlaw's mouths water at the prospect. More than once the biggest problem was having to leave loot behind because they were unable to carry it all.

While banks carried more cash, their static nature also meant it was possible to have a lot more security, both in the bank itself and in the form of local law enforcement. Between cities, trains were more or less on their own, one of the reasons most railway companies spent a significant amount of their outgoings on their own security guards, but there was only so much room on a train. They often had armoured cars with heavy duty locks for the most valuable goods but a bit of dynamite, a lock pick or a particularly determined Bill Williamson with a hammer could usually put paid to that. The biggest issue with trains was the fact they were mobile, and they moved fast. The main issue was trying to get them to stop because once a couple of hundred tons of steel started moving at fifty to sixty miles an hour there wasn't a whole lot anyone could do to make it stop if the driver didn't want to. It was usually a case of boarding it somewhere the train had to slow down like a tight corner or forcing it to stop somehow like when John had the idea of putting an oil wagon on the tracks, but that didn't help them now.

This train was very different. It wasn't just any train, it was a military train carrying wages. In 1899, soldiers were paid pretty well and with the fort about to get a brand new garrison they needed to make sure the soldiers were paid and fed. Of course they were also well aware that it was an enticing prospect for thieves and took appropriate precautions…like ensuring they had no reason to stop before they got to Bacchus! The line between Saint Denis and Annesburg where the rest of the unit would catch up with it was almost completely straight which meant they weren't even under any pressure to slow down. The upshot of which meant that in addition to armed soldiers and armoured cars, they also had to deal with the fact the train was travelling at speed.

They spurred their hoses as hard as they could coming towards the train. They couldn't even really keep particularly quiet about it, meaning that as they were starting to come up on the train, there were already soldiers starting to come out onto some of the cars to try and drive them off.

There was little time for planning, but the Van Der Linde Gang was nothing if not a well-oiled machine. Those that got closest to the train immediately concentrated on spurring themselves on to get onto the train, while those that didn't get so close covered them, trying to keep the soldiers trying to fend them off busy.

Sadie ducked as bullets started to fly by her. She could almost feel them coming perilously close to taking her head off as she neared the train. She threw herself from the back of her horse onto the deck of the carriage, rolling to absorb as much of the impact as she could. Even still, she felt something inside giving a little and a sharp, burning pain like a red-hot knife in her side as she hit. She struggled to breathe, but pulled her revolver, taking care of the first soldier that noticed her. Another grabbed her from behind, hauling her up, but she felt his grip loosen and turned around in time to watch John manhandle him clean off the side of the train.

"Keep your damn hands to yourself boy!" He called after him. Cleet was wrestling with another soldier a little way from them, but John was quickly over beside him, helping the skinny outlaw toss him overboard. Sadie felt a thud behind her and turned in time to see Arthur getting to his feet.

"Nice of you to join us." Sadie said with a little smirk. Arthur just shot her a little look that let her know he wasn't in any mood for joking around. He pulled out his revolvers and started heading up the train.

"Money's in the front of the train!" Arthur called out to the small band he'd found himself leading. "We need to push up before we run out of track!"

Sadie was going to her back for her repeater, but just stretching her arm felt like she was being stabbed. She tried to pull out her other revolver, but even its weight felt like she was trying to carry Bill one-handed. John noticed the pained expression on her face.

"You OK?" He asked.

"I think I might have busted somethin' in the jump." She wheezed. John was coming back to help her, but she waved him onward. "Just keep pushin' up, I'll catch up!"

She took a moment to compose herself. Every breath was agony. She clutched her ribs with one arm while she took her revolver in the other, gritting her teeth through the pain as she joined in the firefight where she could.

Arthur and John tore ahead of Sadie and Cleet. Seeing Cleet work, she had to wonder about his credentials. He could shoot a gun just fine, but his marksmanship lent more to enthusiasm than it did to any kind of skill or accuracy. Even injured, Sadie was pulling her weight more than he was. Still, watching John and Arthur, it wasn't hard to see how they earned their reputation. In another time, another life, they could have been heroes of some battlefield, but they had no interest in abiding by Uncle Sam's rules. She Took cover to reload, something that took a lot longer than normal one-handed, but she heard a shout going up, and the train shook as there was a blast. Had they reached the front and used the dynamite already? Smoke going up from one of the carriages confirmed that wasn't the case. One of the carriages further up was on fire!

"We can't get through the smoke!" John yelled. Sadie watched as the members of the gang who were following, waiting on them stopping the train saw the danger and rode up. Dutch was waving to Arthur. She watched as John, leapt onto Micah's horse. Arthur jumped onto Dutch's, following which Cleet leapt onto Joe's.

"Sadie!" Javier called out, waving to her. Sadie was a little reluctant to risk a second jump. Just standing upright hurt like hell, but since the alternative was waiting until the fire spread down the train, she threw herself off the train, crying out as she landed across the back of Javier's horse. She was about to slip right off until he grabbed her, hauling her back up.

"You alright?" He asked her.

"Just keep goin'!" She yelled at him, gesturing onwards. She could see that the others were spurring on, trying to pass the burning car. When they got to the other side, John, Arthur and Cleet all leapt aboard, this time accompanied by Bill. Seeing the big man jump was a sight in itself. It was like watching a bear fly! Still, by some miracle the big oaf managed it! Sadie prepared herself and leapt aboard too, but the landing this time was nothing short of excruciating. She was rolling around on the ground as she grabbed her ribs, hoping that she would at very least last until they could get John safely away.

"Uncouple that carriage before it blows us all up!" Arthur called out, pointing to it.

"I'm on it!" John replied, quickly getting to work. Sadie struggled to get back to her feet. She could rest as much as she liked once the job was done and John was well on his way to Canada or Mexico or wherever the hell he would end up that was as far from Dutch and anything to do with this God forsaken gang as humanly possible.

John got to work uncoupling the rail car, while Arthur, seeing some more army coming, started to assemble a Gatling gun he had found. Sadie was almost back on her feet, and was about to join John when he finally managed to get the car detached. Her moment of relief was short-lived though, as John turned back, a spurt of blood erupted from his chest. He fell from the train, rolling down the tracks as he fell off. Arthur spun around, seeing a soldier on top of the carriage ahead, and shot him dead.

"JOHN!" Sadie screamed, looking for him as he tumbled into the grass out of sight. She couldn't see him any longer. She could only think of the fact all this had been for him. The take from this was for his life after the gang. If he died…she didn't want to think of that.

"I'll go for John!" Dutch yelled at them. "You protect that money!"

"Man the gun Arthur!" Bill called to him. Arthur started cranking the handle, firing off the Gatling gun. She could feel the floor vibrating as the gun fired off round after round, quickly tearing through the undergrowth and any pursuing soldiers. Seeing soldiers and horses being torn apart like they were made of tissue was a memory that would stick with her for as long as she lived. She'd heard rumours someone was trying to build a version of this that a man could carry and fire in his hands in battle. She hoped to God she never lived to see the day someone managed that.

"You here sightseein' or you here to fight?" Bill snapped at her. "Let's make sure there are no more of these bastards on the train to bushwhack us!"

Sadie didn't appreciate his tone, but it was one of the few times Bill had a point. They'd been caught unawares once, it was best not to take any chances while Arthur was able to hold up the rear with the Gatling gun. She joined Bill and Cleet as they made their way up the rest of the train. Fortunately there were only a couple of cars left, the one they were on, two more and the engine itself. She was close to running on her last breaths as it was, and not knowing if John was alive or dead, she had to drive herself on by thinking of Abigail and Jack. Losing John would be bad enough without having to start out with no money as well. If the worst had happened, then they would need the money even more than they did before.

She stumbled along the way, firing wildly as Bill and Cleet started to push up, clearing out the last couple of cars.

"How the hell did I get saddled with you little lady?" Cleet asked disparagingly as one of Sadie's shots went wild. She could only glare at him. Even with one arm and struggling to breathe she'd done more than he had.

"You watch your goddam mouth!" She warned him as she took some cover, starting to reload. By the time she got her revolver ready to go again, Bill was coming back.

"We got the last of 'em." Bill told her.

"Great!" She responded.

"Yeah, but this big ox just killed the driver!" Cleet informed her.

"I thought he had a gun!" Bill protested.

"So, we don't have a driver?" Sadie asked.

"No, and he's locked in the engine on top of the Dead Man Switch!" Cleet continued. "Which means we can't get him off it!"

"Which means…" Sadie tailed off as she put the rather straightforward story together. They were now on a fast-moving train with no way to stop it, on a track headed straight for a bridge John and Arthur had blown up! Sadie ran back towards Arthur, who was just finishing up with the patrol.

"Come on, get off the gun, we gotta get the money!" She called out to him. She figured that right now Arthur didn't need to know the train was only moments away from ending up at the bottom of a gorge. That news could wait until they had the money!

Arthur took some dynamite, blowing open the door. They were on a tight schedule, and all hopes of doing this quietly had long since passed. The door was ripped open, at which Arthur headed inside.

"We got somethin', we got somethin'!" He called out in glee. It wasn't often Arthur got this excited. A whole fort full of soldiers meant a lot of money, and as he started tossing out sacks full of cash, Sadie could see why. Seeing the sacks coming out, seeming like they'd never stop finding more, she was starting to wonder if Dutch's Taihiti idea was really so far-fetched after all.

"Morgan! The driver's dead! This thing ain't stopping!" Bill told him. "We got to get off!"

"Okay then, let's go!" Arthur answered. He was a lot calmer than anyone would have expected, but then again Sadie knew he wasn't intending to be around much longer anyway. All he cared about was getting enough for Abigail and Jack. He now had more than enough for that. Throwing the bags off the train, they all started to leap off. Sadie had to steel herself for this one, but busted ribs or not, staying on the train was a hell of a lot riskier than jumping off. She let out a hellish scream as the worst pain she had ever felt coursed through her body. She lay on the ground, unsure if she should, or even if she could move, but she knew that she had to. Everyone else seemed to be dusting themselves off and getting themselves composed too. Bill looked like he had torn up most of his left side in the jump. Arthur though…she was glad to see him on his feet. She was afraid this might just have finished him off. She could hear the train crashing down into the bottom of the ravine, and quietly said the first prayer she could remember saying in many years…that she'd never have to set foot on another God damned train again!

"Jesus." Bill exclaimed, looking over the ravine.

"We're alive." Sadie reminded him.

"Just about." Arthur responded. "Well, let's move."

They were just starting to head back, when Dutch and the others caught up to them, bringing their horses with them. Sadie was thankful to see that old mare again. She didn't know if she had it in her to walk all the way back to Beaver Hollow. Her heart sank as she noticed that John wasn't with them. Clearly, Arthur noticed too.

"Where's John?" Arthur asked, with no other greeting. The point where they were even pretending their friendship would endure was now well and truly over.

"I tried…" Dutch said morosely. "I tried. He didn't make it. That patrol killed him."

Sadie's heart was in her boots as she heard Dutch say this. All the chaos, all the pain, all the bloodshed…was it all really for nothing? Had John been killed in what was to be the last big job? Had they really come so far only to have him snatched away at the last moment? Arthur was glaring at Dutch, and she could only think of what he had said at the refinery. How he accused Dutch of leaving him to die. Did Arthur think he had done the same to John?

"We had to run. Come on, before another patrol turns up." He beckoned them. Sadie wiped away a tear, before heading to her horse, throwing a sack of money over the back of it, before hauling herself painfully up onto the saddle. It seemed there was nothing they could do for John now, but Abigail would be waiting for him. They could at least avoid it being all for nothing by letter her know what had happened and giving her enough for her and Jack to disappear for good.

The ride back towards Beaver Hollow was a long, silent one. There was certainly not the air of celebration that one would expect from a successful job. She'd have loved to think that the loss of John was what put the dampener on the mood, but with such a big score on such a high-risk job, casualties were inevitable. The fact they'd only lost John was pretty much a miracle.

Sadie found some bandages in her saddlebag, and wrapped her ribs up as tightly as she could. She was in agony, but she really didn't care. She only had to last a little while longer anyway. Once Abigail, Jack and Tilly were on their way, she could drop dead and she wouldn't feel a lick of remorse over it.

"You OK?" Arthur asked her. Sadie winced as she laughed a little at the irony. Arthur was literally dying, and he was asking her if she was alright.

"As good as can be expected." She told him, sniffing a little. "Just…John…"

"Yeah, I know." Arthur sighed. "We…we tried. That's all anyone can do."

She saw the look he gave Dutch, who was in the middle of a conversation with Micah, Joe and Cleet about something. She was becoming more and more convinced that Arthur thought Dutch was lying about John's fate. Perhaps he thought Dutch had left him for dead. Maybe he thought Dutch had killed him. She wasn't sure. Either way, it was clear Arthur didn't buy Dutch's story about him falling to the army patrol. They weren't quite all the way to Beaver Hollow when someone came riding up to them at speed, hollering as they went. Sadie squinted to see, the sun was in her eyes, but eventually she realised it was Tilly. She was holding Jack up on the saddle with her. She was out of breath, and her clothes were torn and had leaves and branches caught in them. She'd obviously been riding hard.

"They came and took Abigail!" She rushed out. "I saved Jack, we hid, but they took Abigail!"

"Who did?" Dutch asked.

"Agent Milton and his men!" She told them. "They took her to Van Horn to put her on a boat and try her for murder!"

Sadie and Arthur just looked to each other. They didn't seem to be the only ones surprised by this. With Cornwall and his money gone, they'd all but forgotten about Milton. Without Cornwall's bottomless pockets, they assumed he'd just forget about them and go after some easier money. Unfortunately it seemed like he'd either taken their continual evasion of him as a personal slight, he valued the bounty on them enough to go after them or his professional pride in taking on a job and seeing it through had driven him to go after them even without a backer. Sadie didn't need Arthur's nod to know what their next move was. They'd already lost John, they weren't going to lose Abigail too and leave Jack with no one.

"I am sorry to hear that." Dutch said, shaking his head.

"We gotta let her go." Micah chipped in. This didn't surprise Sadie in the least. He'd never put himself out for anyone. "John's a…well…sorry son."

Sadie wanted to drag Micah off his horse right there. That was how he was telling Jack his dad was dead? She knew Micah didn't value anyone above himself, but he couldn't even put on the pretence of caring for a boy who was already terrified he might lose his mother?

"Without John, she's just bait." Micah continued. "Got a bunch of money Dutch, she's just a girl. They won't do nothing to her, but me and the boys know we need to keep riding on this one Dutch. You know it. Every man here knows it."

Sadie knew this wasn't at all why Micah was ready to cut Abigail loose. Women most certainly did get hung, and she wouldn't put it past Milton or the State to make an example of Abigail if they couldn't get any of the other members of the gang. She most certainly was bait, but Sadie couldn't see a choice. Jack had already lost John, she was damned if he'd lose Abigail too while there was a breath left in her body.

"So, we just gonna let the boy be made an orphan?" Arthur growled, losing his patience with the whole situation. Dutch's own words rang in Sadie's mind. Shoot those as need shooting, feed those as need feeding, save those as need saving. If anyone needed saving it was Abigail.

"I…it ain't like that." Dutch said wearily. His words hit Sadie right to the core. That was the moment she knew in her heart, he had cut John loose. Whether he killed him himself or left him to die, he had turned on him. So much for the Van Der Linde loyalty.

"What is it like?" Arthur demanded.

"I wanna live cowpoke, I still got the choice." Micah responded. It seemed as though others in the camp had started to piece together how serious Arthur's ailing health really was. "Dutch, it's just a girl."

"You're right." Dutch agreed.

"Dutch!" Arthur growled as he dismounted, coming around in front of The Count. "Micah!"

"It pains me to say it Arthur but he is right."

"Dutch!" Arthur said, this time in a softer tone, almost pleading. He wanted Dutch to offer him something, to show him that something of what he had believed in most of his life actually meant something. Arthur locked eyes with him, begging him to be the man he had believed in. Dutch just turned his gaze, unable to look him in the eye.

"Let's go boys." He murmured, spurring on The Count. Bill, Javier, Cleet, Joe and Micah all followed on behind him as he rode away. Sadie remained with him as Arthur just stared after them.

"Well, I guess that's that then." He said in a heartbreaking tone. Sadie already knew his body was failing him, but even though she wasn't a religious person, but if she was, she'd have sworn that was the moment his spirit left him too. "All them goddam years!"

"Come on, Arthur." Sadie beckoned him. "Let's go get her. You and me is all we need."

Arthur nodded, before going to the back of Sadie's horse, removing the sack of cash. In his haste, Dutch had left it with her. There had to be thousands of dollars in it, more than enough to see them all get a new start. He put it on the back of Tilly's horse.

"Miss Tilly. Take this." He then pulled out what had to be all the money he had left on him. "Take this money too. Take Jack and you wait at Copperhead Landing for Abigail and Mrs Adler."

"Thank you Arthur." Tilly replied, choking back some tears. It hadn't escaped her notice that Arthur had left his own name out of that list.

"You're a good girl. You have a good life, now, you hear?" He said to her.

"Alright, Arthur." She answered tearfully. "I'll…I'll miss..."

"Me too sweetheart." Arthur cut her off. "Me too. Jack, come here."

He looked to the little boy.

"Be brave son. I'm gonna go get your momma."

As they rode off, Arthur took a few deep breaths, and she could see him wipe his face. She wasn't too proud to admit needing to clear off some tears herself.

"Mrs Adler!" He said as he mounted up. "Ride with me!"

With that, they spurred on their horses, turning down the road for Van Horn. Milton would be waiting, no doubt with an army, but even if he had the forces of Hell themselves, there was nothing that was going to stop them striving to free Abigail with every last breath.


	48. Escape From Van Horn

Van Horn. What could anyone say about Van Horn? In exactly the same way as the Van Der Linde Gang, the O'Driscoll Boys and a handful of others were a relic of a time that no one wanted to admit had passed by 1899, Van Horn was a complete relic that seemed to never have developed since much earlier in the century. Van Horn was a trading post, but it had always very much had the "frontier spirit" as they called it. The idea that someone should be able to forge their own path with their own labours, but without any kind of interference from anyone else. For many that meant the Government, but for them that included law enforcement.

The sheriff's office had been burned down some years previously and the sheriff run out of town and never seen again. The whole incident was still open to a lot of conjecture as to why they had done it, since those in Van Horn rarely spoke to outsiders, but the one thing that was true was there had never been another sheriff appointed. Some said that the Government simply had written off the town and didn't care to appoint another sheriff, while others maintained they could never convince anyone to take the job. Either way, the citizens of Van Horn never really were too concerned, they preferred to handle justice their own way. If someone committed a crime in Van Horn, the people would usually resolve it in a hail of bullets. It said a lot about the kind of power Milton could command that he could all but seize control of Van Horn. They did not like anyone telling them what to do, least of all outsiders, and definitely not law. Milton embodied the very kind of person that should fear for their life setting foot in the town.

The whole ride over, Sadie could sense the rage in Arthur. Years of following Dutch, listening to his gospels, believing in him, all gone in only one conversation. As Dutch left him for the last time, he couldn't even look Arthur in the eye as he rode away, leaving Abigail to her fate. Sadie had listened to him, even reminding him that she would be dead if they hadn't come and saved her from the homestead and that even what they were going through now was better than being dead. She wasn't sure how much of that she believed herself. There were many times she thought about it all being over. Now she'd settled things with the O'Driscolls, she didn't have anything else. Jake was still gone, her home was still gone, everything she ever cared about was gone. The only thing keeping her going now was getting Abigail back. Once that was over with, she really didn't care what happened to her.

All the time she could only think of Dutch and how he had done the same thing to her. He had spun her a yarn with his honeyed words, his promises of support and family and always being there for each other. To him, when he saw Sadie, he had only seen someone like Eagle Flies, Sean, Lenny, John, Javier, Bill…hell, even Arthur himself. She was a broken, angry woman, full of hatred that he had bent and shaped into something useful for him. He had made her into a weapon to aim at the O'Driscolls and then turned her loose. Once he got what he wanted, to see Colm hang, he cut her loose. He didn't care about her vengeance, only his own. She didn't know how much she believed about Heaven or Hell or any of that, but now, after all she'd done, she wondered if Jake would even still recognise her, if he'd still want her.

They arrived in the southern end of Van Horn. The main pier was at the north end, by a large store that doubled as the local fence. Since Milton was going to take a boat, they figured he was most likely going to be at the northern end, which was why they were coming in the other side. Somehow, they didn't think he was going to be taking a fishing boat.

Arriving in the town, they could already see a lot of suits. Van Horn was not the kind of place where many people wore suits, so they knew without even seeing the badges that they were Pinkertons.

They sent the horses away, but as they did, Arthur had another coughing fit. It troubled Sadie to see him like that. She could swear that it was getting worse. She knew Arthur was determined, but even he had to have his limits. She was probably the most stubborn person she knew, but even she knew that willpower alone only got someone so far.

"How are you feelin'?" She asked as she went to his saddle, pulling out a sniper rifle.

"I'm OK." He said as he tried to compose himself. She wasn't convinced how much strength he had left. He'd looked like he was on his last legs now for weeks, and all this had to have been draining what little he had left. Sadie wasn't too sure how much she had left either. Her ribs were still killing her, pain shooting through her with every movement. She would have thought of no one that she'd rather have by her side going against this army than Arthur, but right now…now she wasn't convinced he'd just be something else for her to worry about. She offered him the rifle.

"I think you should cover me and I'll go in there and get her." Sadie told him. Arthur glared at her with his bloodshot eyes, his frustration obvious. "Because you're the better shot I mean!"

"That ain't what you mean!" Arthur said, shaking his head. "I can still fight!"

"I know, Arthur." She said, trying to think of another way to try and convince him she didn't mean that she thought he wasn't up to it. She looked around, trying to find something to say to him, some way to convince him this was the best plan. "But, just…do it my way, honey, it's for the best."

Arthur looked away from her, but didn't say anything. She hated to think she'd left him thinking she didn't have faith in him. She did, she would have loved nothing more than to have him with her, but with his current health, she thought having him being a watchful eye at a distance would be the next best thing.

"Get up some place high, like the lighthouse or something." She said, pointing to the lighthouse or something and cover me."

She held out the rifle for him.

"Please." She added meekly. Arthur just took the rifle from her.

"Okay." He replied, before sprinting up the path towards the lighthouse. Sadie took her repeater and started to head in towards the town.

She ran down the path, trying not to be seen. As prepared for the fight as she was, even she knew how things would end if she ran headlong at an army single-handed. Fortunately the Pinkertons seemed to be much more focused on their own dealings as she approached and found herself some cover. The nearest pair of Pinkertons were chatting, one of them bumming a smoke from the other as they waited around for the Van Der Linde Gang to come to try and spring Abigail. It still boiled her blood to think that they wouldn't, and they'd already be on their ship to New York or wherever the hell they planned to take Abigail for her trial, presuming they didn't just kill her on the way. She strained her eyes to the end of the pier, seeing a woman being dragged into the trading post. She smiled a little to see the fight Abigail was putting up. Even now, with John dead and all alone, she was giving them a hell of a time trying to drag her along. She sat in cover, waiting for Arthur to get in position. She shifted her gaze up to the lighthouse in time to see him get to the parapet and set up his position. She turned her attention back down the path, waiting for Arthur to take the lead.

She didn't have to wait long. Blood spurted from the head of one of the Pinkertons closest to her, then the other one in quick succession. The rest had heard the shots ringing out and started to move. Sadie took this as her time to make her move.

She ran forward, the next Pinkerton falling before he could take a shot at her. She lined up a shot to her right, taking down another, while another shot rang out and a Pinkerton fell from the balcony above her. She skidded into cover just as some bullets came her way, taking some cautious shots between volleys. Another couple of shots from the tower and the cascade coming her way diminished. With their repeaters, they were well out of range of Arthur, meaning he had a commanding position over them. Some of them still wasted their shots as they realised where he was raining death on them from, but another couple fell in quick succession. Sadie got up and started running again, taking down a couple more as she ran. She got as far as the northern pier before she saw some more blocking her path, but Arthur had them too. Taking the opportunity, her lungs burning as she ran, she sprinted down the pier, trusting Arthur to have her covered. The last Pinkerton, who she hadn't even seen coming to her from an alley to her left falling before her just confirmed her faith was well-placed.

She got to the door of the trading post and kicked it in, but as she strode in, seeing Abigail sitting before her and a man either side of her, she was just lining up a shot when she got hit from the side. It felt like she'd been stabbed as her knees caved under her and she fell to the ground, fighting for breath. Her ribs, her damned ribs. They could have hit her virtually anywhere else but those damned ribs…She was spun over onto her back as a heavy boot connected to her side, kicking her over. She grimaced, clutching her sides as she rolled around on the floor.

"Close the door! Do you want that sniper to get a shot in?" Milton barked as he levelled a revolver at Sadie. He looked to her and a sick, twisted little smile crossed his lips. "Now, this is a surprise. I thought I knew all of Van Der Linde's little savages, but you must be a new…"

He tailed off as he got a good look at Sadie's face, his gaze straying to the scar above her brow. Even through her agony, Sadie could see the realisation in his eyes.

"My my, now this…this really is something." He commented. "Gentlemen, it seems Mr Van Der Linde has sent us one of his finest. Let me introduce you to Kid Van Der Linde!"

"Kid Van Der Linde?" One of them asked. "Are you sure sir? I mean, she's a…"

"I can see what she is, but do you not see that scar?" Milton asked as he looked down on her. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Go fu…AAAAARGGGHHHH!" Sadie screamed out as he planted a boot on her chest and pressed down.

"When I ask you a question it's best to answer me." Milton told her, squeezing down again, causing Sadie to cry out in pain. "My men here, as well as Ms Roberts can attest, I don't have much patience for difficult interrogations."

"Sir, are you sure about this?" One of the others asked. "I mean, I heard Kid Van Der Linde was the bastard son of Dutch…"

"I've heard all the same rumours you have you idiot, but fortunately I believe the evidence of my eyes!" Milton snapped at his subordinate, rounding on him. "I'd know that scar anywhere! No wonder you idiots haven't found Kid Van Der Linde, you were looking for a man!"

"You don't think I came alone do you?" Sadie grunted out in pained gasps.

"Oh, I'm perfectly confident you didn't." Milton told her. "Tie her up! We'll deal with her later! I'm certain she won't talk, but that doesn't mean it won't be fun trying to make her, and then we'll no doubt hang her right alongside Ms Roberts."

"You ain't gonna be hangin' anyone once Dutch…"

"Oh, I doubt Dutch'll be coming." Milton told her. "My little birdie tells me Van Der Linde is getting ready to use that money he'll have taken from the train by now to try and get upstate to get on a boat. It shouldn't be too hard to track him…"

"Little bird?" She asked. "But…Molly's dead." Milton just let out a derisive little laugh.

"Ms O'Shea? Oh, that's right, I heard you all thought she was the mole. Worked out quite well for us she decided to take the blame for that, for whatever reason she did."

"Molly weren't the rat?" Sadie asked him. Milton knelt down beside her and smiled.

"Not that it matters much now, since we're probably going to hang you, but I figured you'd like to know who it was." He started to tell her. "It was..."

Just then, some more shots rang out from outside. He snapped around towards the door.

"Put her next to Ms Roberts and get ready to cover the door!" Milton barked at his men. "Do it now!"

"But…"

"NOW!" Milton reiterated. Sadie was dragged, and dumped right next to the chair Abigail was tied to. Abigail looked down to Sadie.

"You alright down there?" She asked.

"Just peachy." Sadie groaned. "You?"

"Had better days." She replied. "Thanks for the effort."

"We ain't done yet." Sadie told her.

Just then, the door was kicked in. Sadie managed to turn a little awkwardly, turning in time to see Arthur open fire and take out the two Pinkertons either side of Abigail's chair. Seeing him striding in like a triumphant warrior, she started to regret not asking him to join her on the trip in the first place.

"Okay ladies, let's get out of here!" He said as he headed over to Abigail, drawing his knife and starting to cut her bonds. Sadie could see Milton stepping out of the shadowy corner and tried to warn Arthur, but turning sharply caused a pain like a red-hot dagger straight through her that silenced her before she could warn him. Instead, unfortunately, the first warning Arthur got was Milton cocking the hammer on his revolver behind his back.

"Calm down, Mr Morgan." Milton drawled as he pointed the gun at Arthur's back. Arthur slowly raised his hands, but started to splutter as he did so. "That's quite a cough."

"Sure." Arthur told him. "Tuberculosis. I'll be dead soon. And you with me, Mr Milton."

"You'll be dead, sure, but I'm gonna be just fine." Milton continued to taunt him, seemingly unsurprised by Arthur's condition. Did he know? Or was he just unconvinced Arthur wasn't just playing a trick to gain some sympathy with him and lower his guard? Sadie already knew that Milton wasn't a man that put much stock in pity. "We offered you a deal, Mr Morgan you should have taken it."

Sadie struggled to get out of her bonds, but every move was agony. She had rolled over now, so she couldn't even see what was happening anymore, only hear them.

"I'm a fool." Arthur spluttered.

"Not all you boys have quite so many scruples." Milton taunted him. "Old Micah Bell?"

"Micah?" Arthur asked. This revelation hit Sadie like a slap in the face. How could she not have seen it? She'd always known Micah was a slimy piece of shit, but the rat? He'd been the one going around talking about the possibility of there being a rat, sowing seeds of doubt throughout the gang. But selling them out? "You mean Molly?"

"Molly O'Shea?" He asked in a mocking tone. "We sweated her a couple of times. Never talked a word, we had to let her go. Micah Bell, we picked him up when you boys got back from the Caribbean and he's been a good boy ever since."

"Okay." Arthur coughed. "Okay…"

She then heard some shuffling of feet and a struggle behind her. She couldn't see what was happening but assumed Arthur had to have gotten hold of Milton before he could get a shot off. She struggled harder to get out of her bonds, but she was tied far too tightly.

"You're losing your strength, Mr Morgan." Milton grunted as he struggled with Arthur.

"You're still a yapping dog, Mr Milton!" Arthur sneered back.

Just then there was a gunshot, and the whole room went quiet for a moment. For a long, heart-stopping moment she could hear nothing but a body dropping to the ground. She couldn't see who it was. She hoped that Arthur had gotten the gun, but if he hadn't…well…at least for him the suffering was over.

"Awful man!" Abigail declared as she headed over and started to cut Sadie free. Arthur had started to cut her free before Milton jumped him, he must have given her enough slack to work herself free. Sadie had managed to work herself into a sitting position in time to see Abigail coming over and starting to cut her loose. Arthur was slumped against the counter, looking at Milton, still covered in his blood and what was left of his brains. "Now come on, both of you!"

She helped Arthur back to his feet, at which they headed out of the trading post. Sadie whistled for their horses, which came charging back into town. Unfortunately by the looks of things, they weren't the only ones.

"Think it'll matter if we tell 'em they don't have a boss anymore?" Sadie asked.

"It didn't matter to Milton when Dutch killed Cornwall did it?" Abigail replied as the first shots were fired. "Looks like we have to hurry!"

"Find the horses and get the hell out of here!" Arthur called out to them.

"What happened to Jack? Where is he?" Abigail rushed out as they ran down the pier towards their waiting horses.

"He's fine…Tilly's got him." Sadie assured her, clutching at her sides as she fired off her revolver, more out of the hopes of hitting anything than any real aim. By now, even holding the damn thing was a struggle, much less firing it.

"Oh thank God!" Abigail gasped in relief.

"Abigail, you ride mine!" Arthur called out, shooting down the street, forcing some Pinkertons to slow their pursuit. Sadie mounted her horse, and felt Arthur getting on behind her. She was grateful for that, getting on the horse nearly finished her off, there was no way she was shooting as well. Sadie spurred her horse onward, following Abigail out of town with Arthur firing behind him to deal with any pursuers. She knew that they weren't exactly out of the woods, but they'd made it a hell of a lot further than they ever had a right to expect to. If there was ever a moment that confirmed the legend of Arthur Morgan, that was it.


	49. The Redemption of Arthur Morgan

"That were the last time I…that any of us…saw Arthur alive." Sadie said in a voice so sombre, so quiet it barely carried through the air even in this room. Levin sat, completely rapt as Sadie recanted the final days and hours of the Van Der Linde Gang. Speaking about it now cut through her normal, stony demeanour like a hot knife through butter. She didn't even bother to hide the tears coming to her eyes as she spoke of Arthur. Even now, years later, it still struck her to her core to think of him. She wiped her face. "We all told ourselves, we all said we were just doin' what he said. We all told ourselves that he were just goin' to talk like he said he was, but even then, we knew…we all knew that he were gonna die that night."

She took another swig of whiskey and sniffed as she wiped her nose with her wrist.

"Back then I knew what were gonna happen." Sadie told him. "I mean, I didn't know exactly what were gonna happen, how exactly it were gonna go, but I knew that when he went back, there were no way he was lettin' Micah walk away, and since he had Dutch so spun around in his own head…"

"Dutch and the others would have sided with him." Levin surmised. Sadie just nodded sadly.

"I would have gone too." She told him. "I wanted to go. Even knowin' that I'd probably just end up dead too I wanted to go. I'd gladly have died that day, but Arthur insisted he wanted Abigail and Jack and Tilly to get gone. I promised I'd see them safe, so that was what I had to do first. After that…I didn't really care what happened to me."

Back in 1899, Sadie, Abigail, Tilly and Jack had made their way to Copperhead Landing as they had planned, but when they got there, Abigail insisted on stopping. There was a row boat waiting for them, which they were planning to take up river to a nearby port where they could get on a proper boat and go and get themselves good and lost. Sadie hitched up the horse and started to look around.

"Alright, no one's followin' us, reckon it'll probably stay that way." Sadie told them. "It's Arthur and Dutch and the others that are the real rich pickin's, I really doubt anyone'll give a shit about chasin'…"

She tailed off as she saw Tilly and Abigail starting to make up a camp.

"Us." She finished. "Abigail, what in the hell are you doin'?"

"We're making camp here." Abigail told her flatly. "We're waiting for Arthur."

"What in the…? That is the dumbest…What the hell Abigail?" Sadie asked her, unable to fathom her behaviour. Arthur had given them the opportunity to run, probably at the cost of his own life. While she had no doubt the Pinkertons would have long since heard about what happened to Milton and be out for blood, meaning that they would be preoccupied with getting their hands on Dutch and the others, every minute they waited was tempting fate. Every second they remained made it more likely they would have finished with the rest of them and be looking for any stragglers. "Arthur wanted you out of here…"

"And we got out!" Abigail told her.

"Not until you're on that boat to…hell, I don't even give a shit where you get on a boat to, as long as it's as far from here as y'all can afford!" Sadie told her.

"We got out and now we're waitin' for Arthur." Tilly insisted. Tilly was normally one of the more timid members of the gang. It was difficult to believe that she had once killed a member of her former gang before she took up with Dutch, but she was definitely not one of the more outspoken members. Sadie was a little surprised that she'd defy her like that. Tilly was one of the first to accept her as the interim leader back in Lakay.

"Arthur ain't…" Sadie started to say, before seeing Jack and thinking better of blurting out what she, what they all probably knew to be true. "Arthur told us to go…"

"And we ain't going any further without him until we give him a chance to come with us!" Abigail shot back.

"Abigail, you…you are just…we're leavin'!" Sadie told her, heading for the boat and trying to push it into the water, but she quickly realised she was on her own. Abigail and Tilly were not moving no matter what she said.

"I already lost John, Sadie, I am NOT just going to just run out and leave Arthur until I know he ain't comin' back!" Abigail yelled at her. Sadie just stared at her. She could see that Abigail wasn't moving, no matter what she said. She'd probably have to hogtie both her and Tilly to get them to go anywhere. She didn't like the idea of risking the window Arthur had made for them, but she just groaned and finally relented.

"Fine, we'll give it until morning and we'll leave then." Sadie told her. "With, or without him."

"I understand." Abigail replied. She knew as well as Sadie did the odds were slim Arthur was coming back. They didn't even know if he was dead already. It was possible Micah or one of his buddies shot him the second they saw him coming back into camp. Was it possible that was the fate that awaited them all if they returned?

The night drew in quickly, but once darkness fell it seemed to drag on forever. Normally they'd organise shifts as to who would watch over the camp, but Sadie couldn't sleep, not when she had yet to deliver on her promise to Arthur. The others got rest where they could, but for most of it, they just sat quietly, wordlessly waiting to see if they'd ever see their friend again.

As the sky started to shift from clear, pitch black towards an early dark blue, Sadie kept watch. The tin cup of coffee in her hand had been refilled many times through the night, to the point she was starting to wonder if there was more coffee in her system than blood. Eventually though, she tossed the remaining contents of her last cup into the swamp.

"Right, we need to go." Sadie sighed.

"Sadie, he might…"

"We said we'd wait until morning, now its morning." Sadie pointed out. "If he ain't back by now then…well…then he ain't coming."

"But he might…"

"Damn it Abigail, we're riskin' all our necks every second we stay here." Sadie interrupted her.

"Sadie, please, just a little longer…"

"Damn it Abigail, he ain't comin'!" Sadie screamed at her. "We both know that he ain't, and I am damned if we're gonna throw this back in his face by waitin' around for him when he clearly ain't comin'!"

"But Sadie…"

"But nothing Tilly Jackson, Arthur told me to get you out of here and that's what I'm gonna do if I have to hogtie all three of you and row you out of here myself!" She snapped. "We can't keep waitin' around for ghosts…"

"ABIGAIL!" A vice echoed over the early morning breeze. Sadie's heart skipped a beat as she heard it. Looking to Abigail, she looked pale, but she wasn't scared or upset. If anything a look of disbelief, which was starting to transition into joy crossed her face. "ABIGAIL!"

"John?" She asked. "JOHN!"

"ABIGAIL!" John called out as he stumbled through the bushes. He looked exhausted, he was limping badly, and he was clearly hurt. His clothes were covered in scratches and mud from the trail, having been running all night through the wilderness. He was holding his shoulder, and his clothing was covered in blood from the wound. He also seemed to be wearing Arthur's hat and carrying his satchel. Sadie could hardly believe her eyes as she saw him returning. If there was ever a moment she believed in miracles, that was it. John Marston, the son of a bitch who could survive pretty damn near everything had returned to them once more. Abigail ran to him, grabbing him tightly, like she never wanted to let him go.

"JOHN! You're alive!" She sobbed in delight. "Thank God, Arthur said…"

"I know, I know…I very nearly was." John assured her. "When I got shot and fell off that train, Dutch, the son of a bitch, he just…he just rode off and left me. The bastard left me for dead!"

"I…I can't believe…maybe he thought you were…"

"I swear, Tilly, he stared right at me, he looked me right in the eye and then he turned around and just rode off." John told them. "I managed to get back to camp, I wanted him to tell me why but when I got there, Arthur was already there, yellin' about how Micah was the rat!"

"Micah was the rat!" Sadie confirmed. "Milton told us himself."

"I was hot, I wanted answers, so did Arthur, we were callin' Dutch out, then next thing I know, Micah's shot Ms Grimshaw."

"Ms Grimshaw's dead?" Tilly exclaimed. John just nodded.

"Then Bill and Javier and everyone's pointin' guns at us, we're pointin' guns at them, Dutch is…well, Dutch was pointin' guns at everyone, then the next thing we know the Pinkertons rode through like a God damned hurricane!"

"The Pinkertons?" Abigail asked. "But why would…Milton's dead, I shot him!"

"You shot Milton?" John asked, before shaking his head. "He might be dead, but that errand boy of his, Ross, he sure as shit ain't! He's God damned crazy! Brought down enough guns to level the whole of Beaver Hollow!"

"John, where's Arthur?" Sadie asked him.

"The Pinkertons, they was comin' in…there were so many of the bastards…it's like one went down and ten more popped up from nowhere!"

"John, where's Arthur?" Sadie asked him again.

"We had to retreat into the caves. We made our way out through some old mineshaft in the mountains but they were still on us!" John recalled, trying to piece everything together. "Arthur…he…he told me you were here, he told me to go!"

"What do you mean John?" Sadie asked.

"He said both of us weren't getting out, said he'd hold 'em off." John said as tears started to come to him. "I…I didn't…I shouldn't have…"

"John, you did what Arthur asked you to do." Abigail assured him.

"But…I shouldn't have left him!" John insisted. "I…I gotta go back!"

"John, you are not going back up there!" Sadie warned him.

"But…"

"Arthur knew what was comin', he knew what he was doin' and what it would cost him!" Sadie snapped. "If you go back now, all of that is for nothin' John Marston."

"Then come with me!" John told her. "We gotta go back…"

He was starting to head back, when without warning, Sadie pulled out her revolver, putting a round straight through his thigh. John screamed out as he collapsed to the ground, rolling around in agony.

"Sadie…"

"You crazy bitch, you fucking shot me!" John called out at her.

"And if I have to I'll shoot the other one too." Sadie told him as she went to her horse. "This was all about you John, all of it! Everything! If you don't make it, then what happened don't mean shit, and I am damned if that's gonna happen!"

She mounted up her horse and took up the reins.

"I'm goin' for him." Sadie told them. "If you want to do right by Arthur, you go, you live, that's all he wanted."

"Thank you." Abigail said as she and Tilly grabbed John, starting to drag him to his feet and take him towards the boat. "Sadie, I…I really hope…"

"I know." Sadie replied with a nod. "Now, go get him patched up and get the hell out of here Abigail Roberts."

With that, she spurred on her horse, heading back towards Beaver Hollow.

By the time she got there, morning had well and truly broken. The remnants of the old camp were still evident. The wagons and the tables and everything else were wrecked and strewn around. Whatever wasn't burned or riddled with bullet holes was strewn all over the ground, looking like someone had turned the place over, no doubt looking for any signs of where anyone that might have escaped might be looking to go next.

Sadie headed into the caves, making her way through frantically in her search. She couldn't see any signs of anyone still there, but just like outside, it looked like the place had been ransacked. She saw the old cart that Abigail had told Arthur about, the one that hid Dutch's chest, all the money he was collecting for Tahiti. She went to the wagon, but could find no sign of the chest, only scuff marks where it had been dragged out. Whether it was Dutch, the Pinkertons or someone else that had taken it, she had no idea, but whoever had taken it was in for one hell of a payday if Dutch's promises meant anything at all anymore.

She felt a breeze and heard wind whistling through the caves from above. The shaft, the one John must have been talking about. She started to climb up, scrambling out at the top, somewhere in the hills above the area. She tried to look around for any signs of where they had gone.

About halfway up the mountain, she found the next clue, one that did not bode well at all. The corpse of a brilliant white Arabian lying on the ground. It was Arthur's horse. The bastards had shot it out from under him. Old Boy, John's steed wasn't far from it. She went over to the horses, inspecting them. They were already starting to get cold to the touch.

"You tried boy." She whispered to the horse, stroking it gently. She could see a little trail going up the mountain and started to follow it. By the time she was halfway to the top, she could hear voices. She scrambled up the cliffs to see who it was. Arthur had made it this far, was it possible he had somehow managed to slip away? To go to ground somewhere while the Pinkertons came through? She had been wrong before, she was certain that John was dead, and he'd turned up like he always did. They'd already seen one miracle, if there was ever a night for it, this was it.

She scrambled up towards the top of the cliff, looking around, and listening for the voices. She could hear them, but as well as that, she heard something else too. She could hear laughter. It was coming from a ridge below her. She started to make her way over to the edge and looked over, seeing some Pinkertons gathered around a campfire. Her heart fell as she saw what they were doing. They were all gathered around, drinking, surrounding Arthur's body. One of them had a camera and they were all taking turns posing with his corpse and the bounty poster.

"Shit, how much longer we gotta be up here?" One of them asked.

"What are you complainin' about? We got it easy today!" Another of them chuckled. "We just need to wait on Ross sendin' the wagon to pick him up. We just need to make sure no one else takes him and tries to claim the bounty!"

"Five thousand dollars!" One of them said with a low whistle, taking a drag on a cigarette. "How do you suppose Ross'll divvy that up?"

"I don't think Ross'll care much. That there's a career man." Another said. "I hear he's already sniffin' for a job in that new-fangled bureau of investigation. I wouldn't be surprised if he waives the bounty for one of them badges."

"He better not if he knows what's good for him!" Another warned as he took a slug of whiskey. "We just caught the legendary Arthur Morgan!"

"Did we though?" One asked, gesturing for the whiskey. He took a slug. "I mean, he was dead already when we got up here."

"You know what they say, possession is nine tenths of the law." One of them said, launching his cigarette over the edge and pulling out his knife. "Which reminds me, I still need to take a souvenir."

With a hellish scream, Sadie launched herself down from her perch, landing on the man and driving him clean over the edge of the cliff, where he tumbled screaming to his doom.

The surprise was enough for her to pull out her revolvers and take care of another three of them before the last one tackled her, bearing her to the ground. She struggled as he mounted her, trying to pin her down.

She struggled to break free, trying to resist his weight and his strength, but he had all the leverage in his favour. He was searching around in his coat for something, probably either a weapon or something to try and restrain her with. As he looked into the inside of his coat, his eyes left her for a fleeting moment. It was all she needed to take the knife from his belt and plunge it straight into his neck. She rolled him off her, getting up breathlessly and checking to make sure there were no more.

She turned her attention back towards Arthur, and slowly made her way towards him. He was lying, near the edge, bloody, bruised and battered. He hadn't been shot, it looked like he had been beaten badly. His face was swollen up and discoloured so much it would have been difficult for anyone to tell if it was even him. She knelt down beside him, tears starting to run down her face.

"Arthur…" She sobbed as she looked down on him. His hands were also very discoloured and reddened. It looked like whoever he'd been fighting he'd given as good as he got. Whoever he'd been fighting would sure as hell be feeling it now. Her hands strayed to his face as she ran them over him, wishing, hoping for some sign of life, but there was none. He was already cold to the touch. "Arthur…"

She lifted her head, wiping her nose and trying to compose herself. He knew, he knew this was where his story would end. He'd already made peace with it. She would have gladly been there with him. She wanted to be, there was nothing left for her now. She'd fulfilled his promise to her. By now, Abigail, John, Jack and Tilly were well on their way. Mary-Beth, Uncle, Pearson and Swanson were miles away. Karen…even she was in the best place all things considered. He had accomplished what he wanted. They'd all gotten away. It was his final gift. She looked out over the cliff edge, and imagined what the sunrise must have looked like. It was possibly the last thing he saw.

As her hand ran down his arm, it came to something in his hand. She took it, and turned his hand over, and something changed in her. In his hand was a revolver. A dark, double-action revolver with a red handle with carvings on it. She wrenched it from his hand to get a better look at it. Etched along the barrel in simple lettering was the message "Vengeance is Hereby Mine."

"Micah?" She whispered, her lip starting to quiver. She had always thought this was all she had left, that once she fulfilled her promise to Arthur, she would gladly meet her end, however, now she had a whole new purpose in life. She threw her head skyward and screamed.

"MICAH!"


	50. On The Trail of Micah Bell

Sadie was silent for a long moment as she recanted the end of Arthur Morgan. There were many tales about the legendary outlaw, and like most of them, it hadn't ended well, though also like most of them, there was still some doubts as to the exact nature of his demise. Stories about the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid varied between a blazing last-stand against an entire army and the two men shooting themselves to prevent their capture depending on who told the story, and Arthur was no different. Ross, of course, took credit for his death, but since anyone who was there at the time was either now dead or on the run and unlikely to tell anyone the truth, there were many accounts as to who actually killed him, varying from Ross heroically taking down the man himself to him falling in a hail of bullets to the Pinkertons to many blaming it on one of his former gang members, with names like Bill Williamson, Dutch and even Micah being the most popular culprits. The only thing consistent with all the stories was that Arthur Morgan was dead.

Sadie poured herself another glass, wiping her eyes off with her sleeve as she took a deep breath. Levin leaned forward.

"So, Micah Bell killed Arthur?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"Yup." She replied. "No…maybe…I don't know. He weren't shot, so it looks like they had a fight. Arthur's fists looked almost as messed up as his face, so I don't think Micah got away too clean. I never saw what happened, only what were left behind. Still, whether he did finish off Arthur while he were dyin' anyway or walked away and left the job half-done, neither would surprise me. Still, either way, far as I were concerned, Micah may as well have finished him off. Son of a Bitch never went anywhere without them guns. Shot up the whole of Strawberry to get 'em back, so the only reason Arthur would have had it was if Micah couldn't get it back before he had to run off because the Pinkertons were on his ass."

She looked to Levin as she tried to compose her thoughts.

"There were more Pinkertons comin' to collect Arthur's body, that much I knew. I tried to get him away from there, honestly, I did but when they were closin' in I had to leave him behind to get away. I figured if it were between savin' his body and settlin' the score with Micah, I know which one would have been more important to him. At least…That's what I told myself. Either way, I knew, I just knew that Micah had to die…and I were gonna be standin' over him to spit in his eye when it happened. I just needed to tie up one loose end first."

Back in 1899, it was a couple of weeks later that Sadie made her way into Blackwater. She'd split her time between trailing through every shit hole and dive she could find, trying to find any whispers of where Micah might have gone, and looking for any signs of John and Abigail. She'd ended up getting a letter at a post office addressed from Tacitus Kilgore to 'his dearest niece Caroline' telling her he was heading to Blackwater to catch a ship on an extended vacation. There weren't many who knew or used that alias, and even less now that whatever was left of the gang had gone to ground to escape. Certainly, none that would have any interest in contacting Sadie. She rode into town, finding the saloon and hitching up outside.

She went inside, looking around and finding Abigail, Jack and John in one of the corner tables. John gestured her over towards their table. As Sadie made her way over and sat down, she could see that the last few weeks had been mostly kind to them. John didn't appear to have a stick, so it looked like her little parting gift, shooting him in the leg to prevent him running straight back into the middle of a Pinkerton army, was healing up. John was always a fast healer, and he was tough as an old pair of leather boots into the bargain. Arthur had always said that about him.

"So, you did manage to get out." John greeted her. Sadie just nodded.

"Not by much." She told them. "Arthur…I…I tried but…"

"We read in the paper." Abigail told her. "Well, John read it to me. Ross said…"

"Ross is a goddam liar and he were about as close to…" She stopped herself as she looked to Jack, who was, as per usual, burying his nose in one of this penny dreadfuls, this one something about Otis Miller and some ghost or something. "…he no more did what he said he did to Arthur than he went to the moon."

"But the Pinkertons…"

"I don't give a shit what the Pinkertons said." She told them. "They might have found Arthur, but they didn't…well…"

She reached into her duster, pulling out Micah's revolver and putting it down on the table. John and Abigail both stared at it, before looking up to Sadie.

"Arthur was holdin' that when I found him." She told them. John picked up the revolver, to a disapproving look from Abigail, turning it over in his hands. Although he'd ridden with Micah for months and could easily have recognised that revolver anywhere, she could see he desperately wanted it not to be true.

"That son of a bitch." John muttered. "He really did it…he…"

Abigail put her hand on the revolver, pressing it down to the table, indicating she wanted John to just let it go. John reluctantly did so, before looking back to Sadie.

"I've…I've been lookin' for them." Sadie told them. "Micah, or any of the others who might know where he went. Bill, Javier, Dutch…"

"You hear anything?" John asked, only for Abigail to nudge him and glare at him. Sadie just shook her head.

"Nothin' so far." She responded bitterly. "A few rumours in slop-houses and shit holes but nothin' that panned out. I keep hearin' they all scattered afterwards, all went their separate ways."

"Arthur had said for ages the whole thing was pretty much done." John agreed, nodding. "It makes sense they all split."

"I will find him." Sadie assured him. "I owe it to Arthur to…"

"Sadie, would you please just stop?" Abigail whispered. Sadie just looked a little stunned by her reaction. "I don't want to hear another word about Micah."

"But he…"

"I don't want to hear another word about Micah FUCKING BELL!" She screamed. "I…I loved Arthur, every bit as much as the two of you did, but he…he told us to go! What he did, he did it so we could go, not so we could turn around and head right back because of that…that…bastard!"

"Abigail, I…I'm not askin' you to…"

"No, you ain't, and you ain't askin' John either." Abigail told her. "And if you have any sense, you won't do anything either."

"Abigail…"

"Micah Bell is a snake, one that's got every level of pain that Hell has to offer comin' his way, but that doesn't mean that we should throw our lives away to make it happen, not when Arthur did everything to get us out!" Abigail told her.

"Micah deserves…"

"What Micah deserves I'm sure he'll get, but this thing is done." Abigail told her. "I think we owe that much to Arthur."

Abigail put a hand on Sadie's and looked to her.

"Sadie, we sent that letter because…because we wanted to offer you a way out too." Abigail replied. "We weren't lyin' when we said we were takin' a boat."

"Where?" Sadie asked.

"The Yukon." John answered. "You probably heard, there's gold out there. Way I hear it, people are pickin' up chunks the size of softballs right off the ground. Abigail said that it'd be just like liftin' it from a train…only without all the guards and marshals and other folks tryin' to blow your head off over it."

"Oh." Sadie said, looking to them. There was a part of her that was disappointed. She was more or less intent on going after Micah alone anyway, but if someone she trusted, if Charles or John was going too, then that would make the whole thing seem like a much smaller mountain to climb. Still, she had promised Arthur that she would see them escape, and in a lot of ways, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to be upset if they chose to take the gift Arthur had paid for with his life. "Well…that's…that's good. I'm glad you're makin' a go of things. I think Arthur would have liked that."

"Sadie, the reason we sent the letter was we wanted you to come too." Abigail told her. Sadie furrowed her brows.

"Go with you?" She asked. "But what about Micah?"

"I told you, I don't want to talk about that…man…anymore." Abigail stated. "Sadie, he'll get his. The papers said Ross has already promised now he's in that new investigation office or…whatever they call it, he's gonna hunt down the rest of the Van Der Lindes, so maybe it's time to just let it go."

"And how long is that gonna take?" Sadie asked incredulously. "Ross couldn't find his ass with both hands tied behind his back and a good guide! If he's the worst Micah has to worry about, he'll die of old age before he swings."

"Sadie, please…come with us." Abigail told her.

"I'm sorry Abigail." Sadie told her, getting up from the table, picking up Micah's revolver. "I appreciate the offer, but…I just…I can't."

Sadie headed out of the saloon, making her way towards her horse.

"Sadie! Sadie!" John called after her as he ran out after her. Sadie stopped by her horse as he caught up to her. "Sadie, please, just come with us."

"I can't do that John, not while he's still out there." Sadie told him. "I just came here to see you were alright, but I already heard someone say he might be down in Tumbleweed, so that's where I'm goin'."

"Sadie…"

"John, this…this is what Arthur wanted for you and Abigail." Sadie told him. "I ain't sure about the Yukon, I mean folks have been out there a long time so I can't be sure how much gold there still is out there, but if there is, you go find it and you and Abigail just be good people. Me, I'm goin' to Tumbleweed."

"And if he ain't there?" John asked her.

"Then I'll go to the next shit hole I hear he's in." She responded. "Then the next, then the next until eventually I find the bastard and put him six feet under."

Sadie was about to get on the horse, when something stopped her. She looked to John.

"You go, you go and you do whatever. Just promise me, if you hear anythin' you tell me." Sadie told him. He just nodded.

"I will." John replied. "And if Micah crosses my path, I promise I'll do right by Arthur, but I ain't lookin' for him."

"I understand." Sadie said, before hugging John. "You go have a good life John Marston."

"If you change your mind…"

"Now, when in all the time you've known me has that ever happened John Marston?" She asked him with a little bit of a smile. John just laughed.

"Yeah, you got a point." John agreed. "But I needed to make the offer. Good luck Sadie."

"You too." She replied as John went back in to return to his family. Sadie got on her horse, and a thought occurred to her. She rode it towards the edge of the dock, looking out over Flat Iron Lake. She pulled out Micah's revolver, and with all the strength she had, she threw it into the lake.

The ride from Blackwater to Tumbleweed was a long and arduous one. New Austin was not the easiest of terrains at the best of times. It was a harsh, unforgiving desert, and those that were unprepared for it would easily fall prey to starvation or dehydration. That was before anyone even considered the cougars or the snakes. Back in 1899 though, those weren't the only hazards. There was a cholera outbreak that had ravaged and devastated the whole state, leaving the town of Armadillo all but completely deserted.

Tumbleweed was about as far from Blackwater as it was possible to get into the territory. It took her days to ride down there, and during that time it became quickly apparent that virtually everything was trying to kill anyone foolish enough to travel there. With resources like food and water being scarce it was little wonder that some of the people who were trying to survive did so at the expense of others. The word lawless had a whole new meaning when the sheriffs tended to stay in their own towns lest they fall afoul of the terrain, meaning some of the few people who did travel the lands were people who knew all too well the law wouldn't follow them. She'd had a few close encounters with some gangs who saw a woman riding alone and saw an easy mark, but those she couldn't out gun, she could definitely out-ride.

She got into Tumbleweed in the middle of a dust storm. She had seen the buildings up ahead just as it was hitting and elected to keep going instead of finding somewhere to shelter and let it pass. She figured it wouldn't be too far to go until she could find some shelter, and after days of the heat, the hard terrain and the opportunistic local outlaws, she figured she had earned a night or two in an actual saloon.

She had her scarf wrapped around her face, and her hat pulled down as far as it would go without completely blocking her vision to keep the worst of the storm out of her eyes. Her horse protested as it struggled on, but she kept giving it reassuring whispers and promises that soon she would put it up in a good stable and give her all the treats she could want. She got into the town, and after finding somewhere to leave the horse out of the dust storm, she started trying to figure out which of the buildings was the saloon. She heard a faint sound over the high winds and turned towards it. She could barely make out the form of a person waving, beckoning her over. They were yelling to her, no doubt seeing a traveller in need of shelter and offering her refuge. She strode over, coming in through the door. It seemed she had found the saloon.

"Good lord, you're lucky to have found your way here, whatever possessed you to travel in this storm?" The man asked her.

"I was already almost here so I figured I'd get here before it got too bad." She told him. "It wouldn't be the first time I were wrong about somethin'."

"Well, thank God you got in out that storm. You want something?"

"Well, a drink would be good." Sadie told him. "And a room."

"I'm afraid we don't have any rooms left." He said, sucking his teeth and looking to her regretfully. "A large party just came in. I do have a barn where guests store their horses but…"

"Believe me, it wouldn't be the worst place I'd stayed." Sadie assured him. "If it's got walls, I'll take it."

"Well, at least let me give you a discount." He told her. "Normally it's a dollar a night so…we'll call it fifty cents, and the first beer's on the house."

"Now those are the magic words." She replied with a grin, shaking off some of the sand as she headed for the bar. "You're a lot friendlier than the folks I ran into out there, that's for damn sure."

"Out there…how long have you been riding?" He asked her. She just shrugged.

"Maybe a week…I don't know, I kind of lost track of the days." She admitted.

"You've been travelling for over a week in Del Lobo territory, and you ride in during a dust storm?" He asked her. "Either whatever you're here for is important or you really do like to take your life in your hands!"

That was the first time Sadie heard the name Del Lobos. She'd soon find out they were a gang that terrorised the territory of New Austin. She did have to acknowledge the barman's assessment of her journey though. She heard some people coming down the stairs, and soon the bar was filled with travellers. All rather well-dressed men for this part of the country, all dressed in fine leather coats and fancy looking suits that wouldn't have looked out of place in Saint Denis. They were all armed, carrying very ornate weapons that further showed off their wealth. Sadie had no idea what a group with this kind of money was doing in this part of the country, but it looked like this was the group that had booked out all the rooms. She just quietly started drinking her beer.

"Barkeep, a bottle of the finest whiskey and keep 'em coming!" One of the men, presumably the leader of the group declared. He was a rotund gentleman, one that didn't look like he missed too many meals, even out here in the desert. He was wearing a garish hat that looked distinctly like an Algernon Wasp creation, with a long plume in it. His clothes looked like they cost more than everything Sadie owned, even before the O'Driscolls burned her home to the ground, and the watch, whose chain was straining across his belly looked like it cost enough to buy the whole town several times over. He had a moustache and a beard that were intricately styled. The bartender went to take them their order, having to make a few trips to ensure they were all satisfied. The entire bar was filled with this entourage, and it didn't look like they were too concerned that there was an unfamiliar face in their midst. By the time she was finished her beer, the barman had only just finished serving the whole room.

"I'm sorry about that, large group." He told her.

"That's alright." She told him.

"So, you mind if I ask what you're doing in these parts?" He asked her.

"I'm lookin' for someone." She told him.

"Mind if I ask who?" The barman asked.

"Micah Bell." She answered. The whole room went silent. Even the large, raucous group behind her stopped talking. "I heard he might be in the area."

"M…M…Micah Bell?" The barman asked. "How…did you know that name?"

"He killed a friend of mine." She told him. "I aim to return the favour."

"You want to go after Micah Bell?" One of the men behind her asked. There were some whispers and she turned around, seeing some childish grins leering back at her. "A fine little woman like you wants to chase down Micah Bell?"

"You know, I don't remember askin' you, so unless you happen to know where he is, I'll thank you to mind your business!" Sadie snorted, turning back to the barman. "I don't know where, but I heard someone say he were hidin' out somewhere around here where the local scumbags hide out…"

"Listen to her, she now thinks she's going to ferret him out!" One of the fancily dressed men chuckled. The others started laughing as well. Sadie just sighed and turned around in her stool, looking at them.

"You got somethin' to say?" She asked.

"Yeah, I got somethin' to say." One of the others told her. "If you're lookin' for Micah Bell, you're too late…because I already killed him!"

"Really?" Sadie asked, looking at him a little dubiously. "You killed Micah Bell?"

"Sure, as I'm sittin' here." He told her as the others laughed. "I put one right between his eyes while he was begging to be let go. It were sad really."

"Really, you got that close, you put one right between his eyes." Sadie replied as she took another beer from the bartender. "I guess that makes you a real tough guy then."

"Toughest bounty hunter in New Austin." He declared. Sadie just took a slug from her bottle.

"That or it makes you a liar." She said coldly. The crowd stopped laughing as the man glared at her.

"What did you call me?" He asked.

"I said you're a liar!" She responded. "You deaf and stupid as well as a liar?"

"Hey! If you wasn't a woman, I'd beat some respect into you!" He barked. "I shot Micah Bell…"

"Micah Bell has a six-thousand-dollar bounty on his head! If you'd killed him you sure as shit wouldn't be sittin' here!" She yelled at him. "Now if you can't tell me somethin' useful, shut up and mind your business!"

"If you was a man…"

"That would make one of us!" Sadie interrupted him. The man strode towards her, clearly enraged by her continued insults. She got to her feet, and before he got to her, she'd already driven the steel-capped toe of her boot into his groin, before punching him in the face, knocking him to the floor.

Another two approached her, the first she dispatched with a bottle straight to his face, while the other grabbed her. She head-butted him, knocking herself senseless, but breaking his nose into the bargain. She grabbed his legs, and drove him down to the floor, quickly clambering on top of him, where she started to rain down punches. She only stopped when she heard about a dozen mechanical clicks that were unmistakably guns cocking. She held her hands clear and looked up.

"They started it." Sadie said, looking straight at the leader, who was aiming a pistol right at her head. "Now, you can all back off and we can all pretend this never happened, or a whole lot of bad stuff is gonna go down real quick and real messy."

The leader considered her for a moment.

"Ma'am…you have almost two dozen guns pointed at your skull right now." He pointed out.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" She asked him. The man thought about it for a moment, seeming to contemplate the woman before him. He then pointed his pistol up, nodding to his men who all raised their guns too.

"So, you're really after Micah Bell?" He asked. "In the middle of Del Lobo Country all by yourself?"

"Yup." Sadie said honestly. The man put away his pistol, before offering her a hand.

"James Langton." He introduced himself. "Tell me, have you ever considered Bounty Hunting?"

"Bounty Hunting?" She asked. "I don't give a shit about the money; I want Micah Bell's head!"

"Well, the fortuitous thing about that is that I want his head too…though I would like to get paid when I claim it." Langton told her. "And the first thing I've found is that the best way to find the scum is to round them all up. Tell me, how long did it take you to hear Bell was down here?"

"I don't know." Sadie said with a shrug. "Maybe two months?"

"I heard a week ago." Langton assured her with a smile. "Between the sheriffs, the marshals and the other rat bastards we put ropes on, we hear the most up-to-date information. People become real talkative once we get our hands on them."

Sadie thought about this for a moment. She really didn't give a shit about money. She would gladly PAY six thousand dollars and work the rest of her life to pay it off if she got to stare him straight in the eye when he breathed his last. Still, the one problem she had was that now without the gang, she was always several steps behind, even with them both knowing a lot of the same people. She'd always been taught by the rest of the gang that the law were useless, that they chased their own tails, stuck to their own areas and spent all their time in their own little nests so much they never even thought to look a couple of towns over. Of course, the new age was coming. Telegrams, mail, hell, there was even talk of soon people having machines in their own homes that would let them talk to each other miles apart. The law were getting wise to the fact talking to each other and spreading information far and quickly meant the crooks had less places to hide. Langton offered her a hand.

"If you really don't care about his bounty, I can always keep your share." He suggested, raising a laugh from those of his men who weren't on the floor nursing wounds. Sadie thought about it for a while before taking his hand and shaking it.

"Just treat me equal, that's all I ask." Sadie told him. "That, and I get to watch the bastard die!"

"I think we can arrange both." He said with a smile, gesturing to his table. "So, how about we discuss the finer parts of your new job Ms…"

"Adler." She told him. "Mrs Sadie Adler."

**A/N: ** Sorry about the hiatus, I had a few things that required my attention, not least finally completing a 100% walkthrough of the game (I will gladly never need to say the words "Small Game Arrows" ever again! LOL!) but rest assured I hadn't forgotten about the story.


	51. The Big Lead

Levin woke up the next morning with his head a little fuzzy. He and Sadie had talked long into the night. When she finally got tired enough, she checked her watch, told him that she had some things to do the following day and left.

He went to his wash bowl and cleaned up, before setting out his clothing on the bed. He was pleased that Sadie had opted to go for a room this time around. She had already explained that she preferred to stay out in the wilderness because she was able to see people coming a long way off. In her line of work, it was no surprise that people would come looking for her over a variety of grudges, but the more she told her story, the more he realised that there were a whole lot of other people that had grudges too. It was a fascinating tale, one he was sure would bag him another best-seller once he was done. It was understandable that she didn't like to be around lots of people often, but she had explained that out here, the number of cougars meant camping out was not an appealing option, even for her.

He finished getting dressed and headed next door, knocking to see if Sadie was in. He didn't get an answer.

"Mrs Adler?" He asked. He still got no answer. He tried the door handle, finding that the door was unlocked, an unusual move for someone with so many enemies. He was trying to decide if he should risk going in, though the imagination of what an inauspicious ending it would be to his writing career ending up with a bullet through his skull for startling a woman in her bedroom made him reconsider. He checked his watch and noticed to his astonishment it was already afternoon. They had talked late, but Sadie did seem to have energy no matter what time of day it was.

One of the staff was setting up for the day ahead and noticed him.

"If you're looking for Mrs Adler, she's checked out." He informed Levin. Levin looked like he'd been slapped across the face.

"She's not here?" He asked in a bit of a panic. He'd already followed her across many territories for her story, and while he was sure he could already make a best-seller out of what she had told him already, he was desperate to hear everything she had to tell him. He wracked his brain, trying to think over the previous night. Had he said or done something that offended her? He figured he was more likely to end up with a threat or a fist to the face if he had than just being abandoned. The man pulled out an envelope and handed it to her.

"She met up with some guy, looked like an old friend the way they were talking. After a while, she came to the bar, settled her tab and said she was going on a job and would be back in a couple of days." The bartender informed him. "He said to give that to you and tell you to wait here for her."

"For how long?" Levin asked. He just shrugged.

"No idea, but they were heading South." The bartender told him. "Oh, she told me breakfast is on her. Breakfast all day? Can you imagine that? Still, she's a regular so...who am I to judge? You want breakfast?"

"Please." Levin replied.

"Coffee?" He asked.

"Always." Levin answered as he headed down to the main bar.

He found himself a nice table by the window. He always did like somewhere he could watch the world go by. His writing process wasn't always consistent, and he did sometimes like to take a little inspiration by watching people just going about their business and imagining what they were doing. That guy doffing his cap to the woman walking with her husband who smiled at him...he could make a bodice stripper out of that easily. The police officer who seemed to patrol only the same twenty feet of pavement? He could imagine him really being a gang member in disguise casing the local bank which was still being built. Perhaps even Dutch Van Der Linde himself! He needed no such inspiration with Sadie's tale, but it was now a habit that he liked somewhere he could get a good view of everyone that was coming and going. He opened out the letter.

"Mr Levin.

Sorry to take off without a word, but I heard you snorin' and figured I couldn't wake you if I set off a shotgun outside your door, and I were meetin' with an old friend that really likes his privacy, so meetin' a best-selling author probably ain't high on his to-do list."

He decided it was best not to press the matter on that. Sadie was already so forthcoming with her story; he really didn't mind her keeping a secret or two to herself. He'd already figured out that the Mr Peterson he met in Rhodes had in fact been Mr Pearson, the camp chef for the Van Der Linde Gang. Between the fact he never really did commit any crimes, and as a favour to Sadie, he had already figured that the fact he was alive and well and owned a General Store was a fact he could leave out of his book. It wasn't like it was the most important detail to his readers. He carried on reading.

"I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to help him out with a little honest work down south.

I should be back in a couple of days, so just hang around, enjoy the city, and I'll be right back as soon as I'm done with this job.

But don't worry; I won't leave you with nothin' to do. Now, where was I? Right, Langton."

Two years, that was how long Sadie rode with Langton. Two years. She had known Arthur to do a little bounty hunting on the side back in the day, something that was more than a little ironic since he had one of the largest bounties in the country if anyone had bothered to check, but back then communications between settlements was virtually non-existent. Telegrams were the fastest way, and even they took about a day to get to their location and cost a hell of a lot of money since the offices charged by the letter.

The business was also, and to this day remained, pretty much completely unregulated. Bounty Hunters were private citizens who delivered fugitives for a cash payment. It wasn't even really a requirement that anyone prove they were a citizen at all since more often than not the local sheriff didn't even ask for a name. As long as the Bounty Hunter put the fugitive in a cell or dumped his corpse in the wagon out back, the sheriff handed over the cash and no more was said on the matter. To say this meant that there was a huge variation in methods, talent and competence was an understatement.

In the two years she rode with Langton, she met many sheriffs, marshals, bounty hunters and fugitives. The thing she found most amazing was how forthcoming law enforcement was with information for bounty hunters given how little they really knew about them. All they cared about was getting their fugitive; they didn't stop to wonder who they were talking to.

The first thing she learned about Bounty Hunting was that it required a lot more than just a quick trigger finger and a lot of ammo. That was a good way to end up killing someone that was wanted alive and ending up with a corpse that was no good to anyone. Violence was, of course, a part of the game, but just like robbery, it wasn't just about hitting hard, it was about knowing how and where to hit.

Langton and his crew were pretty unique in the business. Most bounty hunters worked alone or had small crews of two or three men, since the more people they had on their crew the further they had to split bounties. Langton rode with his own personal army!

He had a unique way of doing business, realising that sometimes small bounties were as lucrative, if not more so than large bounties if he brought in enough of them. Everyone could see the posters of those that had huge prices on their heads, but those men rode with others and many of them had prices on them as well. Down in New Austin, the Del Lobo Gang was causing so many problems that the sheriff was willing to pay for proof of any of them meeting their maker since as far as they were concerned the more dead Del Lobos the better. Langton's men made a pretty good business out of taking ears in to the office and getting a steady income and taking the occasional large bounty as a bonus.

Langton, on the surface, was on good terms with law enforcement. They were only too happy to talk to him and give him any information they had on likely locations of lawbreakers, but when she found the sheriff was just as willing to talk to her, she did wonder. It turned out another reason he liked travelling with such a large entourage was actually because most settlements DIDN'T like them. So many people, many of whom had expensive tastes, would quickly drink the saloons dry, pick the stores clean and generally just make a nuisance of themselves to the point that people were happy to tell them what they wanted to know just to get rid of them! It made Sadie laugh to think about it now. Langton and his men might have dressed like the fine, dandy gentlemen of Saint Denis, but there was a certain method to their behaviour.

She found that a lot of the skills she learned under the Van Der Lindes were transferrable, and worked to her advantage. Langton didn't care to ask, but riding so long with a gang, Sadie understood a lot of their ways and how they worked. They would hide in the wilderness, but despite their loathing of civilisation, like everyone else they needed things that they could only get in town. Ammunition, medicine, tobacco, alcohol and suchlike were things every outlaw wanted but was in short supply in the wilderness.

Sadie never did get into the whole dressing like a popinjay thing that Langton did, but she quickly proved herself, bringing in enough bounties to impress those who had been riding with Langton for years and even Langton himself. One day, she arrived in Tumbleweed, dragging a fugitive with her. He was alive, but not by much. She always preferred to bring in bounties alive, not because she really cared much about whether they lived or died, Sheriff Freeman was the kind of sheriff that believed more in summary execution than trials and hangings, but because it was pretty difficult to get information out of a corpse.

Freeman was in the middle of 'questioning' a witness when she arrived. His method of interrogation was as forgiving as his approach to sentencing. She could hear the screams and the impacts of Freeman's fists before she even got into town, never mind his office.

"Anthony." She greeted him, just heading straight past without even a side-ways glance. Such a thing was a common sight in his office. She had been here enough times to be comfortable just putting the fugitive in the cell herself. The bloodied, battered man slumped in the chair; she'd brought in a couple of days earlier.

"Mrs Adler." He responded, winding up and slamming another hard punch into his bound victim, who just groaned and mumbled something unintelligible. "Working hard I see."

"I could say the same." Sadie responded as she locked the cell door.

"Langton?" He asked.

"Where'd you think?" Sadie asked him, flicking a thumb in the direction of the saloon. She put down a blood-stained bag on the desk. "I'll pick up the money later."

"Yeah, still waiting on the banking stage." Foreman told her in a sigh.

"You get something from that guy?" She asked him.

"Not much so far, just something vague about Rio Bravo." Foreman told her. "I've warmed him up if you want to take a turn."

"I would." Sadie replied, gesturing to him. "But I reckon his talkin' days are over."

Foreman turned back to the Del Lobo, seeing him slumped over on the chair, only his bonds holding him up. He walked up to him, holding a hand near his mouth and nose.

"Son of a bitch." He muttered, before pulling out a knife, cutting him loose and letting him fall to the floor. "Want to give me a hand with this?"

Sadie just shrugged and grabbed the man's feet, while Foreman took his arms, picking him up and lifting him outside, dumping him in the street. Foreman didn't quite put heads on pikes, but he did find that having a few Del Lobo corpses on display for a day or two before disposing of them did discourage them from coming into his town. They both went back inside.

"You going to join your friends?" Foreman asked as he lit up a cigar, offering one to Sadie. Sadie politely declined.

"I was hoping to find out what this son of a bitch knows." She told him. One of the main reasons she still rode with Langton was that rumours had been circulating for a couple of years that Micah had taken up with them to hide out. She hadn't yet found him, but every now and then a story of someone that looked like him would surface. "We found him and a bunch of others waitin' on a delivery."

"Robbing stages? Wish I could say that was unusual." Foreman chuckled.

"In the middle of Rio Bravo?" She asked. "There ain't nowhere out there to deliver to. What could be gettin' delivered that was so important?"

"Want to find out?" Foreman asked.

"Seems rude to keep our friend waitin'." Sadie replied with a shrug. Foreman went to the cell, but as he approached the door, the man started thrashing around in terror.

"No, keep away from me!" He yelled in a panic. "You can't do this!"

"You and your boys have been doin' a lot worse for a lot longer." Foreman reminded him as he unlocked the door.

"No, wait, wait, wait, don't!" He yelled. "I...I know things!"

"Yeah, we figured that much, that's why we're gonna find out what you know." Sadie replied sarcastically.

"Wait, you...you said something about Micah Bell?" He asked. She just sighed.

"OK, this ought to be good." She responded. "OK, where is he this time? Built a mansion on the cliffs? Hiding in a cabin by the San Luis River?..."

"I saw him two days ago!" The man rushed out as Foreman finished tying him to the chair.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Sadie sighed. "Let me guess, he were lookin' to catch a train up to..."

"No, I saw him, the deliveries are for him." The man continued. This made Sadie take notice; she stopped Foreman with a gesture as she started to come closer.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"The deliveries, they're for him." He told her. "He's been hiding out with us for years, buys protection in return for guns. He has cash, more cash than any of us ever seen, keeps buying us all these guns, more than we ever need!"

This did ring true. Before now, the Del Lobos had mostly been poorly-equipped bandits, armed with whatever they could scavenge or steal, but in the last couple of years they'd started to show up with guns and ammunition that looked like it was straight off the shelf. She knew that Micah and Dutch had retrieved the money from the Blackwater job before the Pinkertons hit Beaver Hollow. If he had even a share of that, it was likely he'd have more than enough to outfit an army, and it sounded like that was exactly what he was doing.

"You're tellin' me that one of the most wanted men in the country is buying deliveries of guns directly from the manufacturer?" She asked him. "That has to be one of the dumbest..."

"No, no, its true! They made lots of guns for the war, but then it ended! All them guns that were made and never bought. People still need paid for their work, need to feed their families." He told her. "They bring a wagon to the road and we hand over the cash."

"Cash?" Foreman asked, looking to Sadie. The unregulated status of the business meant that most sheriffs turned a blind eye to the fact people would often take what they wanted from bounties before turning them in. More often than not the contents of their pockets didn't belong to them anyway, and it was unlikely they were ever going to find the rightful owners so it was just taken as a perk of the job as long as they were reasonable about it. Obviously if someone robbed a bank or something the bank expected their money to be returned, but small amounts of cash, jewellery and suchlike? No one really cared when that went missing. Sadie had a pocket full of crisp dollar bills she wasn't too proud to lift from the pocket of a bandit she had shot, and right now Langton and his men were living it up on a bunch of cash they'd taken from a saddlebag.

"There was a lot of money, maybe a few hundred." Sadie admitted, before turning back to the man in the chair. "Where was the wagon?"

"It didn't come; they must have got delayed on the road." The Del Lobo told her. She thought about this for a moment.

"And Micah was the one that sent you?" She asked.

"Yes, from Fort Mercer." He said in a panic, sensing an opportunity to save his own hide. "He was the one that gave us the money! We were to pick up the delivery for him!"

"Fort Mercer?" Sadie asked Foreman. He just sighed.

"It was a fort built for the war." He told her. "The army abandoned it years ago. You know the story, there's always money for war but when the war ends, the money stops and people go home. No point putting soldiers in a fort for an invasion that ain't coming."

"Well, it sounds like someone might have repurposed it." She answered. "It's worth checking out. If we're quick we can see if we can make that delivery."

"If you're quick, you might just catch Langton and the others before they're too drunk to hold a gun." Foreman stated. Sadie had to think he had a point about that. As she got outside, she heard a gunshot from the office. It looked like Foreman believed he'd heard everything he was going to hear from the Del Lobo.

Sadie managed to round up Langton and the others and ride back out to where they had found the Del Lobos. She got off her horse, inspecting the ground, especially the road.

"You find anything?" Langton asked her. One of the talents Sadie had that Langton's men didn't was a flair for tracking. She'd spent a long time with Charles learning how to look for subtle signs of activity in the area. It turned out bounty hunting was a lot like hunting any other animal, the only difference was the creatures they found at the end of the journey had guns.

"Nothing fresh." She told him. "It looks like we beat them here. You go and get yourselves out of sight. We can ambush them when they come through."

"Ambush?" One of them chuckled. "There's like two dozen of us here!"

"Yeah, and they're bringin' a wagon full of guns." She reminded him. "I don't know about you but I like to know the odds are in my favour."

They all hunkered down and waited. It was almost a full day before they saw anyone. No one with any sense travelled in this region if they didn't have to. There were no settlements for miles and between the animals, the desert and the Del Lobos, it was not a place many people wanted to be. They heard the rumble of wagons, and immediately secreted themselves out of sight. Sadie tucked herself behind a rock overhanging the road with Langton.

"What the hell?" He asked. "I thought he said we were looking for a wagon. This is a whole damn caravan!"

"Bet you're glad we didn't just wait for them in the open now ain't you?" Sadie asked.

"Maybe they're not the ones we're looking for?" Langton asked. Just then, the caravan pulled up and someone got out, looking around and checking a map. They could hear voices, and they didn't sound too happy.

"No, this is the one alright." Sadie responded, getting up. Everyone took her signal and immediately came out of hiding, training guns on the caravan. It was only a precaution, but they wanted to get the drop on them before anyone could do anything dumb like go into the wagons for guns. "Alright, everyone just calm down and no one's gonna get hurt."

"Is this a stick-up?" One of them asked. "You really don't want to rob this delivery; do you know who this is for?"

"Yeah, we do, which is why we want to talk, now sit down and shut up!" Sadie replied, shoving him down. It didn't take Langton's men long to round up the others.

"Where's Carlos?" The man asked.

"About yet tall, little skinny, hair like a rat?" Sadie asked. "The sheriff of Tumbleweed put an extra hole in his head. My guess is he's either crow shit or coyote shit by now."

"Hey, this worked out great! Not a single shot fired!" Langton said with a smile. Sadie just nodded, but decided it was best not to tell him exactly how experienced she was at holding up stage coaches. They rounded up all the men at the side of the road, where they could keep an eye on them while Sadie turned her attention to the wagons. She pried open a crate and looked inside.

"Well, would you look at that! Nice, shiny new rifles, ain't never fired a shot." Sadie commented.

"Look, lady, those guns are our legal property." He told her. "We're entitled to sell them to whoever we want."

"And you think sellin' 'em to Del Lobos is a good idea?" Sadie asked, inspecting a fine looking revolver, checking down the barrel.

"They were the only ones paying." He protested. "One minute Uncle Sam is paying us regular, next minute we don't sell a single bullet! We gotta eat lady!"

"You ever think there's other ways to make money?" She asked him.

"Langton, I think you're gonna want to have a look at this." Someone called out. Sadie went to another of the wagons that one of the men was looking inside. What she saw surprised even her.

"You've got to be shittin' me!" She called out. "Really?"

"I told you, we have stock that we need to sell..."

"That's a God damned CANNON!" She yelled. "You're selling a cannon to Micah Bell?"

"Hunters don't have much use for them." He replied with a shrug. "Besides, what are they gonna do with it? Rob a train? You need two men to load the damn thing, never mind move it."

"You are unbelievable!" She muttered, shaking her head.

"He's got a point." One of Langton's men pointed out. "It's not the most practical thing for a stick-up."

"No, but it is ideal for defending a fort." She mused. It was a scary thought. The Del Lobos were tough enough to deal with when they were roaming the desert, but with a fort? Buying up artillery? It might not help them pull jobs but it would give them somewhere no one could get them out of. She had to wonder if maybe things would have turned out a little differently if Dutch had thought of having somewhere like that to call home.

"Guess it's just as well they aren't getting this thing then." Langton replied. Sadie thought about it for a moment.

"They're still expecting this delivery." She mused. "I've got an idea. Someone help me get all the ammo out of these wagons."

"Wait, what?" Langton asked. Sadie just smiled.

"Forts open their doors when they see a delivery they're expecting." She reminded them. "Who else feels like takin' down one of the biggest scalps in the state?"


	52. Fort Mercer

"Can I get you anything?"

Levin was shaken from the story, brought back into the present by an unexpected voice.

"I'm sorry?" He asked the bartender. The man just tapped Levin's glass.

"You've been nursing that thing for over two hours." He pointed out.

"Yes...yes, of course." Levin told him, gesturing to the man to take it away. He hadn't even realised the passage of time. He wished he had more of an idea when Sadie was going to return. All she had told him was she was going on a job with an old friend and to wait for her there. He had no reason to doubt her; Sadie had not lied to him, something of a novelty in his game. Whenever people told their stories, they had a habit of remembering things in such a way that they were always shown in the best possible light. Sadie didn't seem to lie though, even when she probably should. Much of what she had told him could earn her an appointment with a hangman, and so the only editing likely to be done was when Levin did what he could to ensure he didn't repay Sadie for her story with a rope.

He was drawn to a little bit of a commotion in the corner, and watched, smiling, as an older patron was regaling anyone that would listen, and even quite a few that wouldn't, with tall tales and off-key singing while trying to mooch drinks. It did amuse him slightly to think that even in the forefront of civilisation; there were still some things that would never change. The mood did change a little though as someone seemed to take offence to something he said and the mood turned.

"That were my drink old timer!" Someone called out.

"Come on, it's an honest mistake, I thought it was mine! I left it right here!" The older man protested. The other patron didn't seem to take his apology too well though.

"You've been mooching drinks all day old timer!" He yelled. "Now I've got to teach you a lesson!"

"Please, don't...you wouldn't hit an old man would you?" The older man begged him. A fist straight to the gut, sending him to his knees, bent over and wheezing for breath gave him the answer that apparently he would. "Please, I got a serious condition! I got terminal lumbago!"

"Lumbago?" The man asked incredulously. "The only terminal condition you're gonna have is my fist down your..."

"Leave him alone!" A deep, booming voice called out. The man turned around.

"You should mind your own..." The man's words tailed off as he looked around to see the new arrival. Everyone in the saloon fell silent. An absolute monster of a man strode towards him. Taller than everyone in the bar by at least half a head, and built like a shire horse. He was wearing dusty, hard-wearing clothes and had long hair hanging around him, some of it braided with eagle feather trinkets. In his holster, where most would carry a revolver, he had a sawn-off shotgun! He strode towards the man, bringing himself to full height over him.

"Do we have a problem here?" The huge man asked. The other stranger just shook his head and started to slink away. "That's what I thought."

"These young 'uns, they got no respect for their elders anymore!" The old mooch protested as the larger man helped him up. "You're lucky this one showed up or I'd have shown you why they used to call me the one-shot kid!"

"Come on, let's just go." The large man sighed. "You've caused enough trouble for one day."

As things settled back down, the bartender came to Levin with a drink.

"Sorry about that." He commented.

"It's quite alright." Levin chuckled. "As long as no guns are drawn, I consider it a tame evening."

"Well, enjoy your drink." The bartender replied as he headed back to work. Levin just shook his head with a smile. In his time he'd seen and spoken to gun slingers and killers the length and breadth of the country. He somehow doubted a couple of farm labourers were going to cause him too many problems.

He turned his attention back to Sadie's letter, recounting her story.

Back in the past, Sadie secreted herself in the back of one of the wagons as they were driven towards Fort Mercer. She could hardly believe that her search could soon be over. Micah had occupied all her thoughts now ever since the night she found Arthur on the mountaintop. She could just imagine Micah sitting in that fort, thinking he was untouchable. It made sense that the rat bastard would scurry and hide away. It didn't matter to him that he was arming one of the most vicious gangs in the area, as long as he saved his own worthless skin. Looking to the cannon in the back, she could still hardly imagine anyone thinking giving something like that to the Del Lobos was a good idea.

She heard a couple of raps on the wood from up front. She had convinced Langton and his men to set up a perimeter nearby to wait on her signal to move in on the fort, while a couple of them disguised themselves as Del Lobos and drove the wagons into the fort. The biggest problem with attacking them in the fort was the fact it was...well...a fort. Thick, high walls with no way in would give them a huge advantage even if Langton's crew did outnumber them. The first thing they had to do was take the advantage of the fort away from them.

The wagon stopped briefly. This was the moment of truth; they had arrived at the fort. If they saw through the ruse, if they didn't let the wagons in, then the plan would come to an abrupt and likely lethal end very quickly. She listened intently, while some words were exchanged. After a few moments, she heard some heavy movement, at which the wagons rolled inside. Good, they had let them in. Now, all they had to do was spring the trap.

The whole thing relied on confusion and moving fast. The wagons were parked up, but the one she was in didn't turn, the end facing straight at the door just as she'd planned. As she heard some voices coming to surround the wagons, she took a deep breath. The lack of gunshots seemed to indicate that they were more interested in the weapons in the back than the drivers, otherwise they'd realise it wasn't their men.

"That's it boys, help yourselves, your good old uncle Micah's nothin' if not generous!" She heard a voice say. It chilled her right to her core, even now. She'd never forget that voice. He was there! "Christmas has come early!"

She could hear footsteps coming around the wagon, and knew that the time to spring the trap was almost upon her. She moved quietly to the cannon, taking up position. She had the barrel lined up aiming straight at the door. She listened intently as they came around the wagon.

"And now, let's look at the main..." Micah started to say as he came to the back of the wagon to look in on his brand new artillery. However, as he looked in, he saw Sadie right behind the cannon, standing in position. Her eyes narrowed as she looked straight through him. He threw himself to the dirt as she opened fire, the cannonball tearing straight through the door of the fort, turning it into kindling in moments.

She could hear panicked voices and gunshots. They now knew that it was a trap, but that meant Sadie was caught right in the middle of it. Not that she cared; all she wanted was to get her hands on Micah. Langton's men started firing from the rocks nearby, while trying to find an opportunity to push forward.

Sadie could see Micah getting up and starting to run. She pulled out her revolver and scrambled out of the wagon, the confusion of the fire fight covering her.

Bullets whizzed past as she ran after him, forcing her to take some cover. She kept her eyes trained on Micah, keeping track of where he was going. She didn't want the slippery bastard to slink away in the confusion. Men fell on both sides as the fire fight intensified. The Del Lobos hadn't gone to the effort of setting up in the fort to give it up now.

She broke cover as the men in her way fell to rifle fire. She sprinted up to the top of the stairs, hoping that high ground would let her see where Micah had gone. She could see him sprinting along the wall, heading in the direction of the stables. He was trying to bolt, if she lost him now she had no idea when she might find him again. She ran along the wall, firing after him. Her shots went wild, but she did manage to get one to hit him in the thigh, causing him to fall.

"You're goin' nowhere Micah!" She roared. "You son of a bitch!"

"Hellfire!" He declared. "Where the hell did you come from? I thought you disappeared like the others!"

"After what you did, I'd follow you all the way to Hell you son of a bitch!" She snarled. Micah drew his revolver and fired, forcing her to dive for cover. Damn he was fast, she never even saw him pull the gun! She had to pull in behind some barrels before he blew her head clean off. For all his faults, Micah was still one hell of a deadly shot.

"You shouldn't have come here little lady!" Micah taunted her as he pulled himself up to his feet, steadying himself on a wall. "You ain't gonna walk out of here alive!"

"As long as I kill you first, I don't care!" Sadie shot back.

"Oh, there you go takin' everythin' so personal." Micah retorted as he fired some more shots, forcing Sadie to keep in cover. "That's why you come blunderin' in here with no thought for how you're gonna get out."

"I think you missed the small part about an army of bounty hunters all out for your scalp!" Sadie responded. As he was taking time to reload, she broke cover, firing a couple of rounds his way. Micah ducked out of the way, laughing as he did so.

"You mean that poser Langton?" He chuckled. "He and his men are nothin'. Just some opportunists picking off weak targets!"

"That may be, but there's plenty of them to spare!" Sadie replied as she took cover to reload. That was when Micah started laughing.

"Girl, you seem to think your wagons were the only delivery I've had out here." He taunted her. Just then, she heard an ominous rumbling, and turned in time to see not one, but two Main Guns being rolled into place, facing the door. She tried to shout out a warning to the crew trying to make their way in the door, but she could only watch as they burst into life.

She looked outside, watching in horror as men and horses were ripped to shreds in seconds flat. She hadn't banked on Micah having already had such firepower delivered. She didn't think about how long he might have been fortifying his position. It didn't take long for what was left of Langton's crew to realise they were hopelessly outmatched and turn tail. She could see Langton signalling the retreat, waving frantically.

"Langton, you yellow-bellied rat bastard!" She screamed at him. She suddenly fell quiet as she heard Micah starting to laugh. She was now all alone in the fort with Micah...and God knows how may pissed off Del Lobos!

She tried to make the best of it, bringing her revolver to bear. The Del Lobos could cut her into pieces and leave her for the crows for all she cared once she got Micah. The gun was blasted from her hand before she could pull the trigger though. She was going for her knife when Micah sprinted across, back-handing her across the face, his double-action revolver connecting with her skull. She fell from the wall, landing hard on her back far below, knocking the air right out of her. She was in no state to go anywhere as the Del Lobos swarmed around her, kicking her and beating her brutally. She could dimly hear someone calling out, but before she could see who was calling to her, she blacked out.

Sadie was a little surprised when she came to, aching all over. She had no idea why the Del Lobos would leave her alive, but as her vision started to clear up, she could see no signs of the fort. She didn't know where she was, but it was somewhere out in the desert anyway. There was a campfire, and by the sounds of it at least one person was nearby. She tried to move, but she found her hands bound tightly in front of her body. The other end of the rope was tied to the saddle of a horse. She tried to untie herself with her teeth, but the ropes just weren't budging. She heard some footsteps and looked up to see Micah coming back, fastening the fly on his denims.

"So, you're finally awake." He taunted her as Sadie renewed her struggle to get free. "Good, I'd hate to think you were gonna miss the next part."

"When I get outta this..."

"Oh, I'm perfectly sure you want to do all sorts of violent and terrible things to me Hellfire, and trust me, more'n a few people back at the fort feel the same way about you." He interrupted her. "You don't know how hard it was for me to convince 'em not to just peg you out for the crows or cut you into little bitty pieces..."

"That's your mistake." Sadie told him.

"Maybe." He said with a sick little smile. "But then where would be the fun in that?"

"What's your game Micah?" She asked him. "You plannin' to bore me to death?"

"No, I've got something much better planned for you." He assured her, coming close and kneeling down next to her. She swept his hands away as he reached out for her, a gesture he found more amusing than anything else.

"You God damned rat!" Sadie spat angrily. "What you did..."

"What I did is what anyone with any brains does Hellfire, I survived." Micah interrupted her. "Now, I had people cross me at times in my life, little petty grudges but you know what? Sometimes you just gotta let things go. Remember what Dutch said about...?"

"Dutch listened to you, so he couldn't have been that smart!" Sadie interrupted him. Micah just laughed.

"Funny." He commented, before grabbing her face, squeezing it painfully and forcing her to look straight at him. "You cost me a good home Hellfire. That fort was becomin' a nice little nest, but you know a fort without a door ain't much of a fort and trust me, those Del Lobo boys are a lot of things but carpenters ain't one of 'em. I figure it's time to move on again and get myself good and lost."

Sadie didn't say anything, instead opting for spitting straight in his face. Micah just back-handed her across the face in response, before getting up and kicking her in the ribs a few times. She coughed as she fought for breath.

"There ain't no one comin' for you Hellfire. Langton and his bunch of pansies will be long gone by now." He told her. "Just rode off and left you to rot! God knows what he was doin' ridin' with you anyhow."

"I work for him." She spluttered. Micah just roared with laughter.

"You? You a bounty hunter now?" He laughed. "What were you fixin' to do? Bring me in? Ride into town to put me up on the gallows like old O'Driscoll?"

"You're behind the times Micah. No one wants you for a hangin'." She told him. "The bounty's dead or alive, and dead suits me just fine! 'Course after what you did to Arthur I wouldn't care if I didn't get one red cent for your sorry hide!"

"There you go, takin' things all personal again." Micah replied as he looked up, hearing another horse. He smiled. "Ah, there we go, finally! Cortez! I was startin' to think you'd lost your way!"

"I know this desert like the back of my hand Micah!" He grunted, inspecting Sadie thoughtfully. "This her?"

"This is her." Micah answered.

"She's skinny." Cortez answered, inspecting her thoughtfully. "She looks like she's been beat half to death already. She's not gonna last long. She'll probably be dead before I get back."

"Oh, she's more persistent than she looks, believe you me." Micah told him. "Treat her nice and special."

He untied the end of the rope holding Sadie from his horse and handed it to Cortez. He looked to her.

"I'd say see you around Hellfire, but when Cortez gets a hold of folks they just kind of...disappear." He told her, patting her cheek in a patronising send-off. "Just so you know, Arthur begged for his life like a coward."

With that, Micah swung himself up onto his horse and rode off.

Cortez spurred on his horse, causing the rope holding her to go taut, pulling her along. He was taking her deeply into the desert. She had no idea where he was taking her, but wherever it was, Micah seemed confident it was somewhere she'd never leave alive. The only thought that kept her going was the satisfaction of the look on his face when she proved him wrong.


	53. Gaptooth Breach

Sadie had no idea how far Cortez marched her through the desert, tied to his horse. There were times the scorching sun made it difficult to see. He rarely stopped to let her have something to drink, he sure as hell didn't give her anything to eat. With time, she quickly found everything looking the same. She couldn't even tell if they were heading towards anything or away from anything, everything just looked wide, dry and flat, only interrupted by rocks and cacti. Her only indication of the passing of time came when the sun went down, and Cortez found somewhere to secure her while he made camp.

"So, you know where you're goin' or are we just walkin' around in circles?" Sadie asked him wearily as he finally let her have a drink. It had only been one day since Micah had handed her off to Cortez, and already her head was pounding, incredibly fuzzy and her lips were cracked and dry. Between the beating, the lack of food and only getting minimal water, she was starting to wonder if this was the plan all along, if they were just going to walk her around in the desert until she finally dropped. All things considered it was a pretty rotten way to go, particularly if Cortez planned to give her enough water to prolong the experience. She had seen condors out over the desert that almost seemed to be following her, and she was starting to think they knew something she didn't.

"Oh, you're going somewhere alright." He chuckled as he heated himself up some beans on the campfire. "Good thing you invested in good walking boots. There's still a long way to go."

"Mind tellin' me where?" Sadie asked him. Cortez just laughed.

"I just need to meet up with some friends and we'll be right on track." He told her. Sadie started looking around the camp for a way to free herself. She knew her odds weren't good. Alone, beaten, half-starved, suffering heatstroke and unarmed against Cortez was likely not going to end well, but if he met up with his friends, if there was more than one Del Lobo, she could kiss any hopes of getting away goodbye. The ropes were far too tight for her to work loose with her hands, which were already weary and barely functioning. He was being careful to keep his weapons away from her. Hell, he had even tossed the lid of his tin of beans far enough away that she wouldn't be able to get to it. Cortez could clearly see her looking around and eventually just grabbed some more rope.

"Alright, legs together." He told her. Sadie pulled away from him at first, even threw out a fruitless kick or too. Eventually though, he managed to grab them and pin them down. "We can do this two ways lady. I can tie your legs, or I can break both your ankles and drag you the rest of the way there. It's up to you!"

Sadie knew that if he tied her legs as well, she was going to be completely immobilised until morning. She was thinking of trying to get away once Cortez went to sleep, but completely bound there'd be no way she could get out. Once he met up with his friends, there was no way she'd be getting away on the trail. She'd have to hope wherever she ended up being taken there was an opportunity to escape. However, if he carried out his threat, if he broke her ankles, then she could kiss any hopes of getting away goodbye. He'd either do as he said he would and drag her there, in which case she'd probably be dead long before they got there, or he'd figure it was too much trouble and leave her there, where she'd be stranded miles from anywhere and unable to even walk. She finally just nodded to indicate she was going to let him bind her legs. Cortez got a sick little smirk on his face as he tied her ankles tightly, ensuring there was no opportunity for her to just kick the ropes off. Her time as a bounty hunter had taught her a fair bit about binding prisoners. A big mistake some made was to simply tie rope around both ankles in a big loop. She'd made that same mistake with one of her early bounties, and learned the hard way that it was possible with enough movement for the prisoner to slip their feet out of the loop and free their legs. The trick was to bring the rope between the legs as well so that each ankle was bound, that way there was no slack. Unfortunately, it looked like Cortez knew this. Given how quickly he tied her, she was sure he'd had quite a bit of practice.

"Now, I suggest you get some sleep." He told her, slapping her gently on the cheek. "We've still got a long way to go."

Thanks to exhaustion, it wasn't too difficult for Sadie to go to sleep. She was wakened the next morning as Cortez kicked her legs.

"Get up!" He told her as he untied her feet.

"Water." She croaked as she tried to clear her vision. Cortez grabbed her, yanking her to her feet, but she collapsed down again. Sadie could hear him cocking the gun behind her head. "Shootin' me ain't exactly gonna make me go any faster now is it? I need somethin' to drink!"

Cortez put his gun away, before presenting a canteen to her. Sadie quickly took a long drink from it, until he snatched it away.

"OK, that's enough!" He snapped. "Now, on your feet or I drag you!"

She struggled to her feet, her legs a little wobbly under her weight, but managing to get up. Cortez mounted his horse, and flicked the reins, at which they continued their journey.

The second day was every bit as bad as the first, the sun beating down relentlessly. Her feet and legs ached and struggled to hold her, but Cortez dragged her at an unforgiving rate. Wherever he was meant to be, it was like he was late.

She heard him calling out and looked up. It looked like he had run into the friends he was meant to meet up with, but to Sadie's surprise it wasn't just them. She could see that they had about half a dozen other people with them, tied to the horses in kind of a human caravan. The Del Lobos had a reputation in these parts, where travellers would simply disappear. Occasionally bodies would be found in the desert, after the sun and the local wildlife had seen to them. Many thought they were set loose and just got lost. Others that the Del Lobos took them out into the desert to kill them and leave them. After all, what was the point in trying to dispose of the bodies when they lived in one of the largest deserts in the state where a body could lie for years without anyone finding it? But seeing all these people, men and women, all dressed like they were travelling from the cities, she now had more questions.

"Good hunting, I see!" Cortez commented.

"Couple of stages." The other Del Lobo told him. "There were more but…you know how these things go."

"Oh, I know alright." Cortez laughed. "But still, the ones that survive should be good workers."

Workers? Workers in what? Sadie thought it was odd that they were talking about workers, looking around and seeing all the unfortunate travellers. She didn't get much chance to dwell on the mystery though as they all spurred on their horses, beginning to drag all the travellers with them.

The travellers were warned to keep quiet, threatened with unspeakable acts if they tried to plot an escape or run away. Quite where anyone thought they would run to was anyone's guess. They talked in whispers, hoping not to anger their captors. Given the way they talked, Sadie learned there had been more of them when their journey began. She didn't say much, instead trying to figure out where they were taking them and why.

For two more days they were dragged through the desert. A couple more of the prisoners fell, succumbing to the desert. True to form, the gang didn't bother disposing of them. They were happy enough to just cut them loose from the caravan and leave them behind. One or two of them weren't even dead when they left, simply being unable to go on any further and left to their inevitable fate.

They finally got to the first man-made structure Sadie had seen since the fort as they were brought to a giant wooden building in the middle of nowhere. She could see rail tracks from it, leading into a tunnel. There were rail tracks in New Austin, but the rail network at the time was still being built up. These tracks looked like they'd been there for some time, and they were much too narrow for a train…that was when it hit her. A mine! The Del Lobos had taken them to a mine!

"Welcome to Gaptooth Breach." Cortez told them, lighting himself up a cigarette. "This right here, this is where you live and work now. You work hard, you get fed. You don't, well…things get nasty."

The other laughed as he said this. Sadie started to look around, seeing a whole host of gang members there, far more than there should be for an abandoned mine. There were also other people there, working the mine. She now understood, this was why the authorities didn't find the victims of the Del Lobo's raids. They were brought here, to this place and forced to work.

"Tumbleweed is about two day's walk that way." Cortez told them, pointing away from the mine. "If, somehow, you don't get shot and the critters don't get you, the desert will."

He just signalled to the others.

"Get them in chains and feed 'em, they look like they're ready to drop." Cortez instructed one of them. "We can put 'em to work tomorrow."

In turn, they were all dragged to one of the buildings, which had been set up as kind of a blacksmith's shop. Sadie was brought before him first, forced onto the floor, while he looked for a set of leg irons that would fit her. She was held fast as one of them took rivets, hammering them into place, sealing the shackles around her ankles. They were heavy, and the chain was only about two feet, severely hobbling her. Even in the unlikely event someone did manage to break away from the group, they weren't going to be going anywhere particularly fast. It was then that he finally cut the ropes, releasing her hands for the first time in three days. There wasn't much point in having mine workers who couldn't use their hands she guessed. The chains had been riveted on instead of locked, which indicated that they had no intention of releasing their prisoners.

She was roughly bundled at gunpoint into the largest of the buildings. At one point it had probably been some kind of storage facility, but now it looked like what could only be described as slave pens. The new arrivals were far too exhausted to put to work straight away, and so they were bundled in there, locked into pens for the night.

The next day, they were put to work. While most just got on with the work, terrified of what would happen to them if they didn't, Sadie was trying to figure out what was going on, and more importantly, trying to determine if there was a way to get the hell out of there. Cortez had done everything he could to hammer home the hopelessness of escape in the prisoners, making sure they knew exactly how far away they were from the nearest town where they could get help, how many people were watching them and suchlike. To some, it sounded like he was making sure they understood, but to her, she was wondering if it wasn't to keep people prisoner by taking away their hope. The chains and the locks and the armed guards were an effective prison, but there was no more effective prison than people who no longer even tried to escape.

The guards kept good vantage point with longer range weapons in order to ensure they only needed a few. After they arrived, Sadie kept careful eye on the guards for what was possibly a couple of weeks and realised with the exception of when arrivals were brought in, there were only about a dozen guards at any time in the mine. The Del Lobos had a lot of robberies on the trails and so they didn't want to expend too many resources keeping the mine workers in line.

It was perhaps a month into her time in Gaptooth Breach that she finally learned what they were mining for. Through all the dirt and the rocks they pulled out on a daily basis, she finally found some gold. Well, it was glorifying it to call it gold, it was some tiny little grains barely any larger than breadcrumbs. She learned from one of the other prisoners that at one time Gaptooth Breach had been a gold mine, but the company that owned it had simply abandoned it when it ran dry. When it was no longer financially viable to pay people to work the mine, they simply walked away because it was cheaper to just abandon the mine and set up somewhere new than it was to close it properly. Of course, the Del Lobos weren't paying any of their workers, so pulling the odd pound or two from the mine wasn't as much of a problem.

The prisoners were worked hard, from dawn until dusk, every day. They were barely fed and watered. Most of them only lasted a matter of weeks, simply dropping on the job. Pretty quickly Sadie lost track of time. She had no idea how long she'd been their prisoner, with one day blurring into the next. They were wakened at dawn, forced into the mine to dig or sift through the rock and dirt and put back into the pens each evening. The monotony of it all, the routine, the sheer sameness and lack of any real passage of time was almost enough to break anyone, and it was only her time spent looking around for means of escape that kept her from succumbing to the same hopelessness she saw all around her. Very quickly they stopped even imagining the possibility of getting out.

Sadie spent her time watching, checking where the guards went, where they liked to station themselves, how they were armed. She had no weapons to just rush in, so she needed to figure out how best to approach the situation. She could almost hear Charles' voice in her head telling her that maybe if she'd thought about the fort, she wouldn't have been here in the first place. Her rush to get to Micah had led to disaster. As she sat in the slave pen, trying to gather her thoughts on the movements and recon of the mine she found herself comforted by the fact they hadn't taken the eagle-feather trinket she had been given so long ago. She'd rushed in without figuring out the risks, she'd been just like Dutch. Now, she was being forced to try and out-think her enemies rather than outgun them.

More time went by, and Sadie as one of the few prisoners that lasted more than a few weeks had been given a variety of tasks based on where workers were needed. She was once able to see the equipment shed, and was startled to find hundreds of pounds of dynamite. She knew that they had dynamite, occasionally they would blast a section of the mine to speed things along, but she had no idea how much there really was. She also listened in on conversations and tried to figure out what the guards talked about. Most of them spoke Spanish, a language that she hadn't really learned in any real capacity but after months of hearing the same words over and over again, she was finding that she was starting to make connections, figure out what some of what they said meant. She feigned ignorance, but continued to listen, slowly but surely figuring out who their captors were, all in the hopes of finding some weaknesses.

Weeks, months…she wasn't sure how long passed, before she was ready to make her move. She'd managed to secret a piece of metal, part of an old barrel from the mine into the pen, which she ground down on the floor during her few hours of rest time each night into an edge. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. She just needed to get her opportunity, and it came one night in the form of Julio.

Julio was a huge guard, fat, and his stench was almost as bad as the buckets the prisoners were given for their waste. She'd started to figure out from observation he had the unfortunate combination of a huge appetite, a taste for tequila so strong it was little better than moonshine, and by observation a stomach that was fit for neither. Any time he was on duty, he would come into one of the pens to use one of the buckets on his routine inspection of the slaves.

Sadie could hear him grumbling as he came into the pens for his inspection. It was the last stop on his patrol of the grounds that she was a little impressed he'd even managed to make it around given his girth and how much trouble he seemed to have walking. He was holding his stomach and groaning away, but he was almost through the pens.

"Come on you fat son of a bitch." She muttered, clutching a blanket around herself and waiting, hoping this wasn't one of the few times he would wait until he got back to the guard quarters. She had never been so glad to hear vile, thunderous flatulence in all her life as he clutched his stomach. He ended up unlocking the door to the pen and coming in. She waited until he sat down, his body relaxing as he expressed his gratitude to God before she made her move.

She threw her blanket in his face, blinding him before he could get to his gun. She grabbed the blanket behind his head, pulling it taught to stop him pulling it off. He struggled, but months of pushing mining carts and swinging a pick axe had increased her strength dramatically. She grabbed her shiv and drove it straight into his throat, silencing him before he could cry out. She drove it in hard, holding him as he struggled in his death throes, before finally falling still and silent.

Sadie balked as she took his revolver and his gun belt from the floor, bringing her uncomfortably close to the bucket. It was bad enough at the best of times but with him on it, she wasn't sure Hell could come up with anything that would affect her after that. His belt was so large she ended up wearing it as a bandolier and she took his revolver and his keys.

She tipped Julio off the bucket onto the floor and covered him over with the blanket. Hopefully anyone coming by would only give the pens a cursory glance and realise that it wasn't one of the prisoners. Most of them didn't care enough to learn who the prisoners were since most would be dead in a matter of weeks. She slipped out of the pen.

"I'll be back." She promised as she closed up the door. She wanted to release the prisoners, but right now the only thing in her favour was the fact no one knew anything was happening. It was easier to move quietly by herself than with a couple of dozen prisoners that were likely to run for their lives the second they got the chance.

Her leg irons made it difficult to move, but she only needed to make it from the pen to the equipment shed. She looked up to the cliffs over the mine and saw the guards there, waiting until they moved off, before she made her move. She got to the equipment shed, hearing someone inside. She got an idea in her head and strode into the shed. He went for his repeater, but Sadie instead pointed her revolver at the dynamite.

"I wouldn't do that!" She told him. "You go for that repeater; I pull this trigger and we both go up!"

Sadie could see him looking at her in alarm. This was exactly the reaction she was looking for. Her time with the Van Der Linde Gang had taught her a lot, even Bill had been quite informative about some surprising things. He had handled explosives in the military and was usually the one they consulted when a job needed to use dynamite. Dynamite had actually been invented as a way to safely handle nitro glycerine. The guy that made it had done so because his brother had blown himself to hell with nitro glycerine in an experiment. As such, most people were ignorant of the fact that dynamite for the most part was safe to handle unless it was ignited with a fuse or blasting cap. She'd gambled on this asshole not knowing that, and it seemed that was the case. He did nothing as she strode towards him, pistol whipping him to the floor, before smashing the piston into his skull repeatedly.

"I never thought I'd say this, but thank you Bill." She panted as she finished beating the man to death. She took his repeater, checking it was loaded and getting some more bullets.

"Alright, two down, ten to go." She said, gearing herself up for a fight. She bundled up some dynamite, putting some fuses into it.

She took a deep breath as she moved her feet as far apart as she could, cocking the hammer on the revolver.

"OK, here goes." She replied, before taking careful aim and firing.

The moment the chain snapped; she knew everyone in the area would have hear the shot. Gunshots travelled for miles out here, especially at night when there weren't many other noises to drown them out. She knew she had to move quickly. She lit the fuse in the dynamite and ran out the equipment shed, throwing it at the entrance to the building the guards used to rest in. She didn't know how many of them got caught in the blast, but even if it was only one it was a hell of a lot better than the odds she had before.

Her hands were shaky, and her vision was not the best thanks to her mistreatment. She took cover and waited for her opportunities to fire back. She could hear the Del Lobos moving around and yelling to each other as they tried to get to her. The battle took a long time, far longer than she'd have been comfortable with, and she quickly rattled through all her repeater rounds, losing most of them trying to get the two guards on the cliff. She could only assume and hope she got them because they stopped firing back.

She was now down to the revolver and the few rounds she had left. She didn't know how many she'd got, was it five? Was it six? It didn't matter though, when she heard a gun cocking behind her. She looked around to see one of the Del Lobos standing behind her.

"You killed my friends!" He declared.

"You know, a lot of people could say that to me." Sadie replied.

"You think you're funny?" He demanded. "I'm going to peg you out for the fucking crows! I'm gonna…"

She didn't get to hear the rest of that thought. The man fell to the ground with a pick lodged in his back. One of the other slaves had ignored Sadie and come out of the pen. He brought it down a few more times, hacking the man to bits, likely payback for a long time being mistreated at his hands.

"Thanks." She said, nodding and patting the man on the shoulder. "That looks like the last of them."

"You sure?" He asked.

"Well, no one else is shootin' at us, so either they're dead or run off to find more of their boys to come and get us." Sadie told him. "I reckon its best we ain't here when they get back."

"No arguments here." He replied. "So, how do we get out of here?"

"Well, apparently Tumbleweed is two day's walk that way." Sadie told him. "So, I say we break the chains, grab as much water as we can carry and start walkin'."

"You want us to walk?" He asked her. "But the desert…"

"It's either that or wait here until Cortez and his boys get here!" She reminded him. "Now you can stay here if you want or you can help me free as many people who want to take a chance as possible."

The man just nodded in agreement.

"Good." She told him, gesturing to him to separate his legs, shooting the chain. "There, now let's help the others."

Two days later, Sheriff Freeman was in his office, 'hosting' another Del Lobo prisoner. He had been working him over hard for a couple of hours, leaving him a battered, bloody mess. He took a break to light up a cigarette when one of his deputies came in.

"Sheriff, I think you're gonna want to see this!" He told him. Freeman grabbed his repeater and walked outside, just in time to see some very dishevelled looking people walking into town. They had the remains of leg irons on their ankles, and looked tired, weary and covered in dust.

"Alright, someone get these people somethin' to eat, most of 'em haven't eaten in a couple of days." Sadie declared. "I'd have gone huntin' but…had to save what few bullets I had."

"Mrs Adler?" Sheriff Freeman asked, looking to her in shock. She was barely recognisable under the muck and grimy clothes. She just looked to him and nodded.

"Yeah, it's a long story." She told him.

"I'll say…everyone heard you were dead." He said rather flatly.

"Not for lack of tryin'." She responded weakly. "The fort was…"

"Six months ago." Freeman interrupted him. Sadie just looked stunned. She'd lost track of time in the mines; she knew they'd been there for a long time but…

"Six months?" She asked. He just nodded.

"Someone get the doctor! I want these people examined right now!" Freeman demanded. "For God's sake get them fed and watered. Mrs Adler, once you've rested up, come to my office tomorrow. I want to hear just what the hell happened."


	54. A Long Trail Back

Sadie was in no condition to leave Tumbleweed after her encounter with the Del Lobos. Most of the people that were taken to Gaptooth Breach were lucky if they lasted more than a few weeks. Sadie had been worked hard in the blazing New Austin heat from dawn until dusk for six long months. Starved, barely given enough water, on occasion beaten, it was a miracle she was even alive. However, she was always a huge believer in the old adage that whatever didn't kill you made you stronger. It was just a shame that it sometimes took a while.

She had no idea where her horse had gone after the shootout at Fort Mercer, whether it had run off and gotten lost somewhere in the wilderness, likely to become a good meal for the coyotes and the condors, or whether Langton had taken it with him when he turned tail and ran like a whipped dog, leaving her to the mercies of Micah and the Del Lobos, or perhaps it had been picked up by some passer-by who no doubt would take it in. It was a damn good horse, and anyone finding her would be lucky to own such a steed. It did mean that she would have to buy or barter for another horse, but there wasn't much point in doing that until she had healed up enough to ride the damn thing anyway.

To call Tumbleweed a rough place was the understatement of the century. Even by the early 1900's the town never looked like it was going to become part of the modern world. As people either aged and died or left the town, it looked more and more likely that one day the town of Tumbleweed would be just another of the many abandoned ghost towns that lay barren, simply crumbling away with the years.

She told the Sheriff about Gaptooth Breach, and he had assembled a group of deputies and willing volunteers to ride out and shut it down for good. Sadie appreciated how fortunate she was to simply escape with the slaves she had, but that wouldn't mean once they found out what happened they wouldn't simply start up all over again. There was no way that Sadie wanted to see anyone else live through that.

They'd come back, having found nothing, not even the corpses that Sadie had told them they would find, which just confirmed that Cortez and his boys already knew that the slaves had escaped. Just because they weren't there now didn't mean they wouldn't come back once they were sure the heat was off. It was much too lucrative a deal for them to just walk away from, so they sent out a party every few days just to see if there was any movement.

It was almost two weeks before Sadie even had the strength enough to walk around for more than a few hours at a time. After that, she wanted to make sure she improved. She'd fought with the Van Der Linde Gang before, and she had held her own, but her humiliation at Micah's hands had shown her a stark lesson in hubris. Micah was a lot of things. A back-stabbing snake, an opportunist, a stinking low-life coward, but the one thing he wasn't was helpless. As much as it pained her to admit it, the bastard was one of the best gunslingers that still roamed the country. He was fast, he was deadly, and he had the kind of reputation that attracted fellow bastards to his side like flies on shit. She'd underestimated him, she'd underestimated how sneaky he was, and she'd underestimated the Del Lobos, and it had cost her dearly. She was never going to let that happen again.

Of course, determination alone didn't make things happen. She started practicing to sharpen her skills from the moment she had the strength to lift a revolver again. Unfortunately it seemed she was messed up by her captivity more than she thought. She spent hours upon hours shooting at bottles lined up on a fence, trying to get her aim and her speed up to scratch. She was frustrated the first time she fired and she ended up missing more bottles than she hit. Her game was off, and that could cost her dearly. She didn't much care what happened to her once Micah had a bullet between the eyes, but that meant she had to live long enough to pull the trigger in the first place, and the way she was shooting…

"God DAMN it!" She roared as she emptied the spent cases out onto the dust and reloaded. Four out of six, that was the best she'd managed. Four out of six…nowhere near Micah's level. Hell, it was nowhere near HER level. Her frustration only built as she fired volley after volley. The only person happy with her constant shooting was the General Store owner who was doing a storming trade in bullets, an embarrassing number of which ended up in the desert. The people of Tumbleweed for the most part just ignored her, letting her go about her business. They had their own worries, but after almost a fortnight, she did notice there was one guy who started to turn up and just sit with a bottle of bourbon and watch her shoot. As she drew and rattled off another six rounds, she saw that again only four of the six bottles she was aiming at had been touched. She let out a massive yell of barely contained rage as she lost her temper, before noticing the old man, casually sipping his whiskey.

"What are you lookin' at stranger?" She asked him.

"Oh, I'm just enjoyin' some fine whiskey." He told her, taking another sip.

"Well there's a saloon over there for that." Sadie snapped, gesturing to the saloon across from her. She lined up some more bottles and walked back to her line, loading her revolver again.

"Oh, I like the saloon well enough." The stranger told her as she took up position, putting her revolver in her holster. She drew again, firing off, but this time she only managed three. She swore loudly as she realised that rather than improving she was actually getting worse. "But they don't have entertainment. The piano player is off with the Sheriff and his posse, so I have to entertain myself."

"Well entertain yourself somewhere else!" She yelled. The man just laughed and shook his head. "Somethin' funny mister?"

"Oh, I was just thinkin' how in all my time I've seen so many young, angry people tryin' to learn to shoot." He chuckled. By now he was really pissing Sadie off. She knew she was messed up, she didn't need someone mocking her to tell her that, and she knew if she ran into Micah like this, that things would end just as badly as before. The red mist was rising in her, but as much as she wanted to punch the old man's teeth out, he was exactly that. Just a harmless old man whose opinion didn't matter a damn. She took her belongings and stormed away, leaving him to his bourbon as she went back to her room.

Back in the present, Levin was distracted as he heard a commotion from outside.

"She did it, she brought in Shane Finley!" One of the patrons yelled. Levin and the others ran to the window in time to see Sadie riding past hem with a man tied to the back of her horse. She was riding with another man, a tall, thin man, though not exactly lacking in muscle. He was dressed and looked a lot like a rancher, but something about his build didn't exactly give Levin the impression he came by it by herding cattle. He didn't get a good look at the man's face, but he presumed that this was the friend Sadie had been here to meet.

Levin considered going to greet Sadie, but she had a look about her that was all business. He knew that she was all business when it came to bounties. She didn't want to deal with anything else until the bounty was safely delivered to the police station. He'd read a few articles about Finley, but he had no idea Sadie was looking for him. He did see her nod in his direction though, she must have noticed him there. She would indeed catch up with him.

He went back to his table and continued to read.

Sadie was just in her room above the saloon, cleaning up after a long day of working to get her form back when she heard a cry going up from outside, accompanied by a thunder of hooves. She ran to her window in time to see Sheriff Freeman and his latest posse coming back. There were less of them than had left on the latest trip to Gaptooth Breach, and one or two of them looked like they were badly injured, barely able to stay on their horses. Freeman himself looked like he had taken a shot in the arm, and was bleeding heavily. He leapt off his horse, before helping drag another man down off his horse.

"Get these men to the doctor, NOW!" He roared as he handed the man off to a passer-by, before pulling out his revolver. "I need every man, woman and child who can carry a gun on the street right now!"

A lot could be said about the residents of Tumbleweed, but one thing that couldn't was that they weren't ready to defend what was theirs, what little there was. Sadie had barely even strapped on her own gun belt before there were half a dozen people in the street, ready to help Freeman. It wasn't a moment too soon either. Soon it was obvious why the otherwise unflappable Sheriff Freeman was in a panic. The posse had been ambushed, that much was clear, but it looked like the Del Lobos weren't done, and had pursued them back to town. Smelling blood in the water, they had gone after Freeman when he was already down a couple of deputies and injured himself. Normally they'd never be so brazen as to attack the town, but right now, they knew it was weakened.

She wished she had more time to get back to full health, but they weren't going to wait that long. She headed downstairs, positioning herself by the door as the firefight began. The Del Lobos rode straight into the middle of the town with the kind of balls that normally they'd never show. Freeman and his hastily-assembled militia were quickly being driven back into hiding by a heavily-armed and ruthlessly emboldened enemy.

Sadie ran out into the street, but quickly found herself having to dive for cover, realising her mistake. Splinters flew from the barrel she hid behind as she tried to compose herself. She couldn't tell if she'd even managed to hit any of the bastards as she fired while she ran. The leader held up his hand, gesturing his men to stop firing.

"Sheriff Freeman, this can end now! No one else has to die today!" He called out. "You have something of mine. Some employees."

"There's no way in hell I'm sending people back to be your slaves Cortez!" Freeman declared. Cortez just laughed.

"I don't think you're in much of a position to refuse." Cortez stated. "You see, I've got a dozen very bad men with me and right now, it looks like you got some scared farmers and a couple of women. Send them back to me, including that bitch that killed my men and we'll be out of here like this never happened!"

Sadie looked over to Freeman, wondering if he was considering the offer. It sounded reasonable enough that someone with enough of a survival instinct would consider it. Of course, it relied on Cortez keeping his word, and Freeman and his deputies had been a significant thorn in the Del Lobo's side for years. They had never had such an opportunity to get rid of Freeman, it wouldn't be beyond them to turn around and renege on their own deal.

"You think I believe one word from that forked tongue of yours?" Freeman barked back. Sadie smiled. She should never have doubted his courage. He would sooner die himself than betray the people of his town. Tumbleweed might have been a shithole in the ass end of the desert, but it was HIS shithole, and anyone wanting to take it from Sam Freeman was going to do so over his cold, stiff corpse! "You get nothing!"

"Then you leave me no…"

"Hey, now what the hell is going on here?" A voice rang out. Everyone turned to see a man standing, leaning on one of the railings outside the saloon. He lit up a cigarette and looked out over them. Sadie strained her eyes to see in the dark. It was the old man who had been watching her shoot. "I was in that there saloon tryin' to have a whiskey in peace and all I hear is everyone out here hollerin' their heads off. I thought there were laws against disturbing the peace!"

"Go back inside old man." Cortez warned him. "This is none of your business!"

"Well, when one of your stray bullets went through that window there and smashed a perfectly good bottle of whiskey that I've paid good money for, it became my business." The stranger said. "You, sir, or one of your boys, owes me a bottle of whiskey."

Sadie just looked to him in disbelief. The Del Lobo Gang was shooting up the town and he was complaining about whiskey?

"Shit happens old man, consider it gone and go back inside if you know what's good for you!" Cortez warned him again. The man just smiled and got up off the railing, beginning to walk into the middle of the street, while everyone watched him.

"What the fuck is he doing?" Sadie asked herself. "Mister, get your ass out the street! You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"I appreciate the concern miss, but I think I'll be just fine." The man said, standing before the assembled Del Lobos. He looked from left to right, sizing them all up. "So, here's how I figure this ends. One of you pays me for my whiskey and you all just ride on out of here and we'll say no more about it."

Sadie checked her gun, making sure it was loaded. She had no idea how much this guy had been drinking, but he was talking his way into a pine box. Cortez and his men just started laughing.

"Old timer, you are funny!" He told him. "It's a shame we'll have to kill you."

"You're very welcome to try." He replied. Then before anyone knew what was happening, he had whipped back his jacket and pulled out a revolver, fanning the hammer and rattling off all six rounds at incredible speed. It was the fastest Sadie had ever seen anyone move in her entire life. She'd barely seen him move his coat and already Del Lobos were sliding off their horses.

He ran to the side as they finally realised the danger they were in, and quicker than a hiccup, he had another revolver in his hand. More of Cortez's men fell. Cortez himself was already spurring his horse on to ride on out of Tumbleweed. Seeing the Del Lobos in retreat, Freeman and his few brave citizens broke cover to fire on them as they rode away. By the time Cortez was out of range, the rest of his boys were dead. The old stranger just sighed as he put away his guns.

"Damn, I hate gettin' old." He muttered. "In my younger days, I'd have got him too."

"Sir, the town of Tumbleweed owes you a great debt." Freeman said gratefully. "Barkeep! Get this man as much whiskey as he wants on me!"

As the citizens started to leave, to get their injured tended to, Sadie just walked up to the stranger, who was lighting up another cigarette.

"How the hell did you do that?" She asked him. "You should be so full of lead they could call you a pencil!"

"I have seen much better and much scarier men than that in my time miss." He answered with a smile. "It takes more than a gun to be a gunslinger. Now, if you excuse me I need to make the most of the Sheriff's kind offer before he changes his mind."

"That…that was the fastest damn thing I ever seen." She continued in shock, following him as he walked back towards the saloon. "You'd shot six men before I even saw the gun!"

"Miss, when you practice enough at something, you get real good at it." He stated. "Unless you hit a slump, like you have…unfortunately a slump when you're talking about guns usually ends with you in a graveyard so…I'd try to get over that pretty quick."

Sadie just stood, completely aghast as he started to walk away. Micah Bell had been one of the best gunslingers she'd ever seen. Right now she was nowhere near a match for him. Hell, she was starting to wonder if she had been before. She took a deep breath.

"Show me how!" She called out. The stranger stopped, turned back towards her and cocked his head to the side.

"You're Adler ain't you?" He asked. "The lady bounty hunter that's after Micah Bell in the worst way."

"Yeah, that's me." She told him. "So, are you gonna help me?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he just turned away and started to walk back towards the saloon. Sadie was enraged by his dismissal. She pulled out her revolver, cocking the hammer. He stopped dead as soon as he heard it.

"Now, why would you want to go and do a fool thing like that?" He asked.

"You gonna show me how to shoot like you?" She asked him.

"Or what?" He asked her. "I saw you earlier, safest place with you at the moment is in front of your gun."

"That's real funny mister, now are you gonna teach me or not?"

"You're not gonna shoot me." He told her.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of…what I've already done!" She growled. "I'm gonna put Micah Bell in the ground if I have to shove my fist so far down his throat he chokes on it, whether you help me or not, so you help me or…"

"I admire the passion but I didn't get to live to be old as I am on anger." The man said, turning towards her and walking towards her. "I didn't live as long as I have because I always hit what I aim at."

"You stop right there mister."

"I didn't get to live this long by being fast."

"Stop right there…"

"I also didn't live this long by shooting at everything in front of me." He told her. "You rush in without thinking, that's how you end up dead! That's what cost you before! You can't out-shoot someone, you gotta out-think 'em."

"I'm warning you, you stop right there!" She yelled.

"That's how I know you're not gonna shoot me." He told her as he was almost right on top of her. "Not because I doubt you've got it in you to pull the trigger…"

CLICK

Sadie stared at the gun. The chamber was empty. She'd fired off all her shots in the fire fight.

"But because I can count to six." He concluded. He took a long drag of his cigarette. "So, you want to put Micah Bell in the ground?"

"I ain't afraid to die!" Sadie blurted out. The man just nodded.

"Of that I have no doubt." He replied, extending a hand to her. "The name's Landon Ricketts. I'll show you all I know, if you're not too proud."

Landon Ricketts. Sadie had heard the name. He was at the Blackwater Massacre. He was one of the few survivors. He was also known as one of the greatest gunslingers that ever lived. There were cigarette cards dedicated to him, but little was known beyond folklore and campfire tales. Much was written, but little by anyone that actually knew the man. He was not one of the gunslingers that sought fame, he had disappeared shortly after Blackwater, and no one seemed to mention him again. Many believed he had died, yet having seen what he did, Sadie was sure, this was the legend himself standing right before him. She took his hand, shaking it.

Levin was disappointed that he had reached the end of her notes. No doubt he would hear more from her when she returned from the police station. He was packing up, and headed to the bar to get a nightcap to go to bed when a man walked in. He recognised his clothes, it was the man who was travelling with Sadie.

"Bottle of whiskey." He told the bartender. "So, my hands been behavin' themselves?"

"We had a little fuss with one of them." The bartender told him.

"I bet I know which one too." He sighed, taking the bottle. Levin looked to the man.

"Excuse me sir, you were with Mrs Adler?" Levin asked. The man just looked to him.

"Yeah, I kind of work with her on occasion." He told him. "Sorry, Mr…?"

"Levin." He introduced himself the man lifted his hat, letting Levin get a good look at his face. He had a deep, pronounced scar, claw marks running the length of his face. He shook Levin's hand.

"Right, she talked about you a little. You're writing a book or somethin'?" He asked.

"Well, yes I am!" Levin replied.

"I'm sorry to say Mr Levin, but I ain't much of a reader." He answered as he raised the bottle. "Anyway, my hands have been without supervision far too long. Nice to meet you."

As he walked away, Levin ordered his drink, picking it up and heading towards his room. He wanted to be fresh to hear what Sadie could tell him next when he saw her the following morning. As he was about to go up the stairs though, he suddenly stopped as a thought occurred to him. He turned towards the door, where the stranger had just left. An associate of Sadie's? Distinctive facial scar?

"No…it couldn't be, could it?" He asked. He then shook his head. Sadie had given a lot of herself to him in telling her tale, and he didn't want her to regret that. He knew that at times, even a man with his curiosity had to know when to just not ask questions.


	55. Return of an Old Friend

**A/N:** Sorry for the long hiatus folks! I've had a lot on, but I just wanted you to know I have not forgotten this story!

As morning broke, Levin went down into the main bar of the Blackwater saloon. He'd opted not to knock on Sadie's door, figuring that after arriving back late the previous night she'd most likely want to rest and she'd join him when she was ready. He could already smell the bread baking and the bacon sizzling. He was starting to really enjoy the hospitality of Blackwater, and in particular the saloon there. He was hopeful that Sadie would want to rest up for at least another day or so once she woke up. Perhaps he could convince her to spend a day spinning another yarn or two about the old days? Maybe she could even tell him about her latest escapade.

"Is that the morning edition?" Levin asked as the barman brought in a bundle of newspapers from the boy out the front. He just rolled one up and brought it over to the writer, putting it down in front of him. He opened it out, and just got to see the headline. "Massacre at Pike's Basin. Famed Bounty Hunter James Langton Dead."

"What would you like this morning?" He asked. Just then, Sadie barged in the front door, surprising both of them. Levin thought she was in her room, but given the fact she was still wearing the same clothes she was the previous night it looked like she had not returned from her trip handing in her fugitive.

"Beans, toast, bacon and coffee. Black as tar, strong enough to knock my head off and keep it comin'." She instructed the barman.

"I'll have the same." Levin responded as she flopped down into the seat opposite him. She did look very pale, and her eyes were slightly bloodshot, with darkened circles. It seemed she really hadn't had any sleep at all that night. "Are you alright?"

"Long night." She responded, pulling off her gloves and rubbing her hands. Her knuckles were red, and badly swollen. She just let out a long groan. "For a squirrely little shit, Finney had a hard head and a stubborn streak that surprised the hell out of even me."

She saw the way that Levin was looking at him, like he wanted to ask something, but at the same time was afraid of the answer he'd get. Blackwater was a modern city, that was moving away from the old ways. They didn't have a sheriff's office; they had a police station. They were meant to operate under the new laws that gave prisoners certain rights. She just smiled.

"Chief Dunbar stepped out for a cigarette and I agreed to watch Finney for him until he got back. He got a little frisky and I had to calm him down." She replied.

Levin didn't believe that story for a second, but he gave Sadie the courtesy of just going with it. He imagined that since she had brought him one of his more troublesome fugitives, Dunbar probably looked the other way if she believed he had information that might lead to another fugitive she was looking for. Dunbar looked to the newspaper. "So, your old friend Langton, apparently he was killed yesterday."

"He was? Well, ain't that somethin'." Sadie replied wearily as the barman came back with the first of their coffee. "Mmm…now that is just what I needed, keep 'em comin'."

"Wouldn't you rather rest?" Levin asked her. Sadie just shook her head.

"I can't just turn off and sleep just like that, I need to wind down a little first." She told him. "Not to mention I'm absolutely famished."

She just made a winding signal with her hand as she drank more coffee like it was the only thing keeping her alive.

"So, you read my letter?" She asked him.

"Yes, I had some time to…it's really riveting stuff, I had no idea how much went on in New Austin." He admitted. "I don't get many stories from that area."

"Thanks to the Cholera outbreak not many people do. Hell, most sensible folks avoided it even before the outbreak." She told him.

"I can't believe you met Landon Ricketts." Levin told her. "I didn't know he was even still alive."

"Believe me, a lot of folks think the same and that's the way the old timer likes it." She chuckled. "He spent most of his life between the ages of fifteen and fifty with every asshole with a six-shooter who wanted to make a name for themselves takin' a pot shot at him. After Blackwater he was only too happy to let folks think he wandered off and died somewhere. It gave him a bit of peace and quiet for once."

"So where did he go?" Levin asked her. Sadie just leaned back, crossing her feet on the table.

"Mr Levin, I thought it were my story you were tellin'." She teased him with a cheeky grin.

"Oh…well…I mean I just…"

"Don't worry about it." She assured him with a little bit of a laugh at his expense. "I owe him enough that I'll leave the details out if you don't mind, but all I'll say is he went down to Mexico."

"Mexico?" Levin asked her. She just nodded, finishing off her coffee as the barman arrived with another.

"Thanks. Yeah, he said it were more peaceful. Can you believe that? All the shit goin' on down there and he still found it more peaceful than up here. He only popped back up every now and then to stock up on bourbon and head back."

"So, you said in your notes he taught you how to shoot." Levin stated. She just laughed.

"Oh, he taught me a lot more than that." She replied. "I went with him back to Mexico. He taught me so much more than how to fight, how to shoot. It were like…he taught me there were a whole different world and if you could just shift your mind into that place, it were like…you could see where people were gonna go before they did. You could tell who were gonna shoot and who were gonna run."

She saw the way that Levin was staring at her and saw only confusion. She sighed.

"I know, it sounds like I've been hittin' the peyote don't it?" She responded. "But I swear, he showed me stuff I never thought were possible. At Hanging Dog Ranch, I must've killed two, three dozen people. But he taught me if I could move, think, breathe like him? I could take on a hundred and walk away and he weren't bullshittin'."

"I've read many stories of his. Are you saying they're true?" Levin asked her.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that one about the three armed man is just a story but most of them? I wouldn't doubt so much." Sadie told him. "There were some tough lessons, but one of the first was the fact I jumped the gun. I was so desperate to nail Micah that I let him slip through my fingers. I'd waited this long to get him, so I figured I could wait a little longer."

She took her feet off the table as the barman arrived with their food. She took her cutlery gleefully and started to eat.

"So, how long were you in Mexico?" He asked her. She just shrugged.

"Probably about six months." Sadie said, trying to remember it. "But Micah was always like this itch in the back of my skull that just wouldn't go away. No matter how long I was there, no matter how long I wasn't lookin', I just couldn't get him out of my mind. I know I can't rest until he's paid for what he did to Arthur, what he did to all of us. After a while, once I was strong enough, I came back and went right back to bounty huntin'."

"You went back to it knowing it was the best way to hear about him?" Levin asked. She just nodded.

"And as much as I don't believe in braggin', I like to think I was gettin' pretty damn good at it too." Sadie responded. "I spent the next few years buildin' up my reputation. Takin' names, bringin' in every lowlife that the local sheriffs couldn't bring in by themselves. I swear, I was bringin' in rapists, murderers, train robbers left and right, and somehow none of 'em seemed to know Micah. But that was when I finally learned one of Landon's final lessons."

"What's that?" He asked her.

"If your huntin' a wolf, and it ain't actin' like a wolf, try huntin' it like a coyote." She told him. Levin just furrowed his brows. "Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too. Let me tell you what I mean…"

Back in the past, many years beforehand, Sadie strode into the sheriff's office in Valentine. When she got there, she found Langton and some of his men crowding out the sheriff's desk. They all turned to look at her, Langton clearly furious as he saw her with an unconscious victim draped over her shoulders. He pointed at her accusingly.

"You see? You see what I said? There she is with MY bounty!" He roared.

"Now James, what in the world are you talkin' about?" Sadie asked him. "I found this here gentleman at the side of the road."

"You found him in our camp trussed up like a chicken!" He roared angrily. "We had him, we brought him all the way from Roanoake, we stopped to rest up for the night and when we woke up, he was gone!"

"You didn't leave a guard?" Sadie asked. "Now James, with all the guys you employ that just sounds careless!"

"I left a guard!" Langton told her. "But you know as well as I do, he passed out drunk like the rest of us!"

"And how exactly is that my fault?" Sadie asked. "I mean, if he just happens to escape and I just happen to pick him up then that just sounds to me like you're careless."

She headed for the cells, dropping the prisoner inside. She knew damn fine Langton and his guys had gotten loaded and passed out. She'd been tailing them for two days to find that opportunity. She'd ridden with Langton long enough to know he and his men liked the high life enough to enjoy a little celebration before turning in a bounty. She didn't have to wait too long before she could sneak into the camp and take the fugitive while they slept. Hell, they were so shit-faced she could have snuck in with a herd of buffalo and none of them would have noticed! She'd taken care to take the long route to Valentine so that she could avoid a confrontation with them on the road before she turned him in. The fact that Langton had gotten to Valentine first and got to see her snake the bounty out from under him was just a bonus. Langton got into her face as she came back.

"That is MY bounty!" He growled.

"Well, you know what they say Mr Langton, possession is nine tenths of the law." She responded.

"That is true, he came in under her custody." The Sheriff stated as he handed Sadie the money. "I don't give a good God damn who brings in these degenerates, all I care about is getting them behind bars or on the end of a rope."

"You'll get yours Adler." Langton warned her. She didn't bother to react to his threat as he left. Once they were gone, the Sheriff just looked to her.

"So, did you steal his bounty?" He asked her, lighting up a cigar. He offered one to Sadie but she declined it politely.

"Too damn right I did. He just left him lyin' in the camp. It was too easy." Sadie replied in an off-hand way.

"You really shouldn't piss him off like that." The Sheriff told her. "In here he can't do anything, out there if he and his boys see you in their camp, I can't do anything about that!"

"Aw, it's sweet that you worry." Sadie said sarcastically. "The asshole deserved it. Besides, after what he pulled in New Austin, he's lucky that's all I do. By all rights I should have slit his throat while I were at it."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." The Sheriff told her. Sadie was only too happy to let him plead ignorance. Langton was one of her chief competitors, and they'd been competing over bounties now for a couple of years. When she'd first returned, Langton had reached out to her and offered to let her work for him again, but after Mercer, she had no desire to trust her life to him again and she'd told him where he could stick his job. Bounty hunting wasn't exactly like being a sheriff or a marshal, there was virtually no regulations involved in it. It gave them freedom to act pretty much anywhere, without worrying about things like jurisdiction but it also meant a lot less protections, and to say that competition could get out of hand was an understatement. Sometimes as many bounty hunters were shot by other bounty hunters as were killed by the people they were looking for. "So, since Langton ran out, you want first crack at a new one on the books? Just got the wire yesterday."

"You know me." She commented. "So, what'd he do?"

"Embezzlement." He told her as he pulled out the poster. Sadie just looked to him in complete bewilderment.

"Embezzlement?" She asked as she took the poster from him. "What in the hell is that?"

"Think of it as kind of like bank robbery." He told her. "He took a couple of thousand dollars."

"This guy?" She asked, looking at the poster and reading the description. "He looks like he'd fall down dead in a stiff wind. How in the hell did he rob a bank? Did he hire guns?"

"Nope, he did it all by himself." The Sheriff told him.

"You're shittin' me!" She exclaimed. "How in the hell does someone like this even carry a couple of thousand dollars, never mind walk out of a bank with it without being so full of lead he could be used as a pencil?"

"With a pen and paper." The Sheriff told her. "Bonds, he just filled out some paperwork and transferred it to his name instead of the rightful owners. What would probably end up in a shootout like the massacre we saw all them years back he managed to do and walk out without anyone knowing about it for weeks."

"Embezzlement huh?" She asked him. "That's really a thing?"

"Look it up if you don't believe me." He told her. "The world's changing Mrs Adler. The days of sticking up a train are long over."

"Somehow a good old fashioned stick up seems more honest somehow if this bastard can steal more money than I'm ever likely to see without so much as a single bullet." She commented as she put the poster away. "I'll take the job. Even if I still have no idea if I'll ever understand what the hell it is."

"I knew I could count on you Mrs Adler." He replied.

Sadie went to the town records office, not really sure of what to look for. Valentine was a small town, but being a livestock town, it did keep pretty extensive records of financial transactions. A startling amount of money ran through the town on a regular basis, and Dutch had taught her long ago that when large sums of money were involved, people liked to write it all down so they knew where it came from and where it went.

She did begin with doing exactly what the sheriff suggested and looking up embezzlement. Sure enough, there it was in black and white. People now were robbing each other without a single dollar bill or gold nugget being passed. She had no idea that now deals were being done between businesses, between towns and cities that were so large that they were done entirely on paper. Thinking about it, she could see some logic to it. Some of the values involved would involve literal trains full of money if actual currency was involved, and she'd seen how that could end first-hand with the army train job. What it did mean however was someone could squirrel away a significant amount of money just by making a few changes on the paperwork.

"Well, I'll be God damned." She said with a little bit of a laugh. "I swear, the day's gonna come where some asshole ain't even gonna have to leave his house to rob you blind."

She started looking around for records directly relating to the fugitive, Nathan Kirk, to see if there was somewhere, he might go. It was a bit of a long shot since with thousands of dollars he could easily buy himself somewh ere new and never have to go to anywhere he had frequented before. Looking through his records though, she saw no record of him ever owning land or a home.

"No wonder this bastard robbed the place." She snorted. "It ain't like he had a lot to lose."

She started to look through some old newspapers to see if there as any mention of him. Anything at all, relatives or friends he might visit. She was starting to get the impression though that after arriving in Valentine he hadn't really left the area all that much. He didn't seem to turn up in any of the pictures at the harvest festivals or celebrations. She took a few notes from the few times he was mentioned, things to ask around about to see if anyone knew about him, but as she was about to put one paper aside, she noticed an article that took her interest.

"Man killed in Roanoake." She read aloud. "Witness claims the man was a dark-haired man, with distinctive facial scars…travelling with a woman and a young boy. Last seen heading west."

She furrowed her brows as she thought of something. She looked for another newspaper, remembering another article she'd only just glanced at.

"Gunfight at Hanging Dog Ranch." Sadie read aloud. "Laramie Gang found dead in scene eerily reminiscent of the massacre of the O'Driscolls. Owner of nearby Pronghorn Ranch David Geddes claims no knowledge but locals say that there had been numerous violent incidents between the Laramie Boys and the ranchers at Pronghorn Ranch in the preceding weeks. One said that the feud had been escalating for weeks but that it all came to an end when a new ranch hand, Jim Milton, moved to the area. Milton is described as being quiet, never having much to do with anyone in town and having facial scars."

She just got a smile on her face reading this.

"Oh, you've got to be shitting me!" She said with excitement in her voice as she abandoned her research, heading for the telegraph office.


	56. The Real Story

Sadie watched as Levin's hand started to quiver over the page. He was a nervous man, and she'd taken a lot of humour in the fact he was far too used to civilisation, much too much of a delicate man for the rough nature of the wilderness. The fact that he was so enthralled by the idea and stories of the Wild West, a time where someone like him would most likely have been chewed up and spit out over and over was both amusing to her, but also understandable.

Many people in the civilised world felt like their lives were getting more and more hemmed in, and had a rose-tinted vision of a past that never existed. Where a person could live on their wits and nothing else. Where no one could tell them what to do and they could call a different place home every day. She'd lived through the dying days of that time, in some ways she still did, and she knew there was no romance to it. Without laws, people gave in to base natures. A few days without food could make just about anyone resort to some pretty desperate and horrendous things. Her body was covered in scars, each one a lesson learned about the Idyllic "freedom" those people romanticised, largely because of stories like Levin's.

However, she had a feeling his nerves weren't really because he felt like he was in danger. In Blackwater, they were much more in his element than hers. She preferred space. She didn't like to be around too many people.

"Is there a problem Mr Levin?" She asked him.

"I…I…" He put down his pen and reached for his coffee, taking a long sip. He looked to his breakfast, which he now had no appetite for, and pushed it away. Sadie just shrugged, and picked it up, putting it on top of her empty plate.

"Waste not want not, that were what my momma used to always say." She said, starting to eat. "So, is there a problem?"

"I just…I was wondering…" He started to stammer nervously, picking up his cup again. He took another long sip. "I was just wondering if you remembered that correctly."

"I'm sorry?" She asked him, through a mouthful. By now Levin's plate was already almost half empty. It seemed her days on the trail of the last fugitive had indeed worked up quite an appetite for her.

"I just…I'm not sure if…" He said, before taking a deep breath, getting out a cigarette, which uncharacteristically he didn't ask if she minded him lighting up, and struck a match on the table, before lighting it. He took a long drag. "Perhaps you might want to reconsider telling me this part."

"Why would I do that?" She asked him. He looked around, before drawing in closer.

"Off the record, the man you're describing, the man you claim to have traced to Pronghorn Ranch. He sounds a lot like John Marston." He explained. "And that gentleman I saw you riding with looks a lot like…"

"Mr Levin, do you remember that book you wrote about Calloway?" Sadie asked him. Levin just stared at her and nodded. "You know why I decided to speak to you and tell you my story?"

"I…I talked you into it?" He asked her. Sadie just laughed.

"Mr Levin, you are good company, but you ain't half as charming as you think you are." She responded. "I decided to tell you this story because you spin a good line of bullshit. One people are only too happy to believe."

"Thank you?" He offered weakly, feeling more than a little offended by her bluntness. Sadie just put her cutlery down and picked up her coffee, starting to drink from it.

"Mr Levin, let's not be too coy here. We both know that what I've told you already is enough to earn me a hangin' all across the territory several times over. You never once wondered why I'd be happy to talk to you about that?" She asked him. He shook his head. He didn't know what to think, but more importantly he didn't know how to answer in a way that wouldn't anger her. He did instinctively wonder if perhaps she was revealing that John was not only alive, but also in the area as a way to get people to focus on him instead of her. However, no one other than the two of them even knew Sadie was a member of the Van Der Linde Gang. The only ones still at large according to the wanted posters were Dutch, Javier, Bill, John and Micah. The others had disappeared into the ether to whatever fate awaited them. Either their crimes by comparison being too small to be noticed or their identities never revealed. Sadie leaned back in her chair.

"Well, Mr Levin, maybe if I tell you this next part of the story it'll all make a lot more sense." She replied. Levin just nodded and picked up the pen. "Now, Kirk was a slippery bastard, kind of squirrely, but thanks to a…friend…I found him in Strawberry. Turns out he were waitin' on a train to New York. We chased him down, caught him and then my friend rode off. Had some business elsewhere. I didn't think to ask where before you ask. Anyway, I were takin' him to Valentine but it were gettin' late, so I decided to wait until mornin' before I brought him to the sheriff."

Back in the past, Sadie was stoking the campfire, taking a sip of whiskey while she checked on it to make sure it was properly stoked.

"You gonna give me some of that whiskey?" Kirk asked her. He was lying, resting up against some rocks a little way off. Sadie had tied him securely, ensuring he wouldn't scurry off during the night.

"Why the hell would I do that?" She asked him. "I saw that room you bought with other people's money. Looks to me like you've been livin' it up pretty damn good on other people's dime."

"A last drink for the condemned man? You haven't heard that's the custom?" Kirk asked.

"Condemned man? What the hell are you talkin' about? Embezzlement ain't a hangin' offence!" She yelled at him. "Much as it should be it ain't, and we both know that, now shut up!"

She started moving the logs around a little.

"I swear, this country." She muttered. "If you'd walked into a store with a gun like a man, odds are you'd be lookin' at swingin', but you rob a whole town of thousands and you're goin' to a prison? Man, I hope they send you to Sisika. Those boys'll have you wishin' you was hung inside a week."

"I never hurt no one." He protested.

"Really? You never hurt no one?" She asked him. "Well, why don't we see about that?"

She pulled out some documents and a book from her saddlebag. She'd swung by his room in Strawberry to make sure she hadn't missed anything. She still didn't claim to fully understand how embezzlement worked, the only robbery she had much knowledge of involved a six-shooter, a repeater and occasionally some dynamite. She started reading. "Oh, how about this one? Young couple, got a loan to buy the land for their house. The bank don't get that money back, where do you suggest they live?"

"I…"

"Oh, how about this one? Guy took out a loan for some carpentry tools. And this one, guy bough a horse for his wife…not everyone you stole from is exactly able to just shrug off those losses." Sadie told him.

"I…I don't look at stuff like that." He responded. "I just see numbers on a page, that's all."

"I swear, this new age." She replied, shaking her head, looking through more papers.

"You don't have to read out any more, I get the point." He replied. Sadie though didn't say anything, instead finding a document among his belongings. It was a title deed for some land. "Oh, what's that? Someone wanted to build an orphanage?"

"This…it…it can't be." Sadie stammered, before coming towards him. "This deed, this land, it was sold to this man. Do you remember this man?"

"Why would I?" He asked her. "The bank signs lots of title deeds, hell you've got deeds for miles of lands in your hands right there…"

Sadie slugged him hard across the face.

"Your name is on this deed, YOU signed it! YOU were the one that sold this land!" She yelled at him. "Now, this man, did you get a good look at him?"

She grabbed him and shoved the deed in his face.

"You see that name right there?" She asked him.

"Tacitus Kilgore." He read aloud. Sadie could hardly believe it when she read the name. It was a long time since Arthur had explained the gang's mailing system in Rhodes, but she would never forget that name. While Arthur used that name extensively across many states whenever he needed to adopt a false identity, Tacitus Kilgore was the name they set up local post offices to expect mail for. All of them had used that identity at one time or another. Sadie had even written a letter to "Uncle Tacitus" under the guise of his "Niece Caroline." To see it now, so many years later…she already knew Arthur was dead, who was it that had used it? Bill and Javier had high-tailed it as soon as the Pinkertons descended on Beaver Hollow. She'd heard that Javier's name in whispers connected to some kind of despot when she was with Ricketts. Bill…she'd heard rumours of him floating around but nothing solid, but the one thing that was consistent was both of them were looking for others to align with because they fled without the money. Neither of them had anything like the funds to buy land, and she couldn't imagine Bill having the brains to do so either. "Now, what did he look like?"

Kirk didn't answer her. Sadie just sighed and drew her knife.

"What…what's that for?" She asked him.

"You know, you may not think you have much to lose Mr Kirk, but you see…that's where you'd be wrong." She told him, pulling off his boots. "You got toes for a start."

"You're not serious!" He shrieked.

"The bounty only requires you to be alive, it don't say nothin' about havin' to bring all of you in as long as what I do bring in is alive!" She warned him, dragging the blade of her knife against the soft flesh of his sole, before bringing its edge to his smallest toe. "Now, you want to reconsider your position? Or do I start leavin' something for the coyotes?"

Kirk sang like a canary. He'd told her all about that deal. Someone had come in and put down money to buy some land. Far more than its actual worth. He not only didn't haggle, he offered far more than the value that was even posted for sale.

After she dropped off Kirk, along with all the papers he had on him, hoping that every scrap of paper would add to his sentence and see him put away for a good long time, she set off for the plot. The land owned by Tacitus Kilgore.

She slid off her horse as she rode into Pleasance. At one time it had been a town, but one that had been ravaged by plague. It was a ghost town a little way from Rhodes, even back when she was with the gang. The few that hadn't succumbed to the plague had abandoned it many years earlier, and since then no one had come to claim it. They were afraid of the place, which many people considered to be cursed. It had sat unused for so long that the Government had released it for sale, but until now, it seemed, no one had bought it even despite the attractively low price. It was a place no one wanted to go…perfect for someone who didn't want to be found!

The air was unerringly still and quiet around pleasance. The buildings were mouldy and rotting from years of neglect. It seemed that even after buying the land, 'Tacitus' hadn't thought to do anything with it, not even building a new home. It made sense, after all, why attract attention to it?

She sent her horse away, and started to look around, systematically searching all the buildings. Just because it was quiet didn't mean she wanted to risk being taken by surprise. There were a lot of places to hide, a lot of potential for an ambush.

Sadie took deep breaths, keeping her own movements silent. Her heart slowed, eased as she prepared for having to act. Ricketts had taught her a lot about how to catch signs in the air to find her quarry. After searching all the other buildings, she finally rounded on the church. She approached it slowly, bringing herself close to the door. She could hear a voice inside, rambling and barely audible. She opened the door and strode inside, finding him at the front, kneeling by what used to be the altar. Several cans, bottles and used cigars indicated he'd been here for quite some time. His hair was thinner than before, and rather lank and greasy. He looked as though he was praying, something that she found more amusing than anything else.

"You always thought you were God." Sadie declared, causing him to raise his head. "I'd never have thought you'd pray to anyone but yourself, Dutch."

"Mrs Adler." He responded. "I always wondered which one of you would finally track me down."

He turned on his knees, his hand going to his revolver, but Sadie already had hers trained on his head. He saw her draw, but couldn't believe how fast she moved. He smiled and laughed a little, moving his hand away from his revolver.

"You've gotten fast Mrs Adler." He complimented her. "You were never that fast next to that road from Saint Denis."

"It's been a long time Dutch." She told him, keeping her gun trained on his skull, beginning to move towards him.

"Yet it seems none of us ever move on." He replied. "Can I get up off my knees at least? I'm an old man, my knees ain't quite what they were."

She just gestured to him to get up. Dutch slowly got to his feet, looking her up and down. Even now, all these years later, he dressed and spoke like a Lord. He was wearing a suit, albeit one that was very worn and extremely dirty. His gold watch was chained across his midriff. He looked a lot paler now, and while he had clearly not been to a barber in some time, his hair, beard and moustache a lot longer than she remembered, he still waxed it. It was just like him to still want to dress like the Lord of the manor…even if that manor was so rotten it was a miracle it was still standing.

"So, I hear you're a bounty hunter these days." He commented.

"Among other things." She confirmed.

"No, but I'm sure you've seen the wanted posters." He replied, his hand heading for his pocket. Sadie cocked the hammer of her revolver, but he pulled out a cigar rather than a weapon. He just showed it to her. She allowed him to light it. "Bringing me in would make you a very rich woman. Is that what this is?"

She uncocked the hammer and raised the barrel of the revolver.

"If I'd wanted you dead, your brains would already be all over that altar." She assured him. "Cause you know the sick thing Dutch? Even after all you've done? Even with all the reasons I have to do it other than the money? Even knowing how happy it'd make Landon to know I finally put down the man that laid his home to waste…"

"Landon Ricketts. That is a name I haven't heard in a long time." He commented. "I wondered how you got so good."

"Even with all that?" She replied, putting her revolver away. "I can't bring myself to do it. You're right. I see the wanted posters. You, Javier, Bill…I see those posters all the time. I hear your names; I hear the rumours…but somehow, I can't bring myself to hunt down even that useless bastard Bill. Even with all that happened, I just…can't turn my back on what we were."

"It's nice to hear that loyalty still counts for something." Dutch responded.

"You have some hide to talk to anyone about loyalty Dutch." She snarled. "The tuberculosis may have been killin' Arthur. Micah might have beaten on him, but what you did? Turnin' your back on him? Takin' everything he believed in, all that bullshit you'd been spoutin' your whole life and tossin' it away? That broke his heart. That's what finished him off."

Dutch was silent. He looked more like a broken old man than the bringer of the Gospel of Van Der Linde that had led the most notorious gang in the territory.

"You know the really sick part?" She asked him. "Even with all the reasons I have to want to kill you? I still…I still love you too. All of us did. Bronte offered your boys a thousand dollars to kill you, none of them would have taken a million and you threw all that away for that snake Micah? You deserve everything that comes your way Dutch Van Der Linde…even if it ain't gonna be me that does it."

She wiped away a tear, before turning to leave.

"Mrs Adler!" He called after her. "You're right."

"I'm sorry?" She asked.

"About everything." He sighed. "I did notice though, there was one name you left off that list."

"What list?" She asked. Dutch started walking towards her.

"Bill, Javier, me…" He said as he counted them off on his fingers. "I would never have thought you'd go after John; you were always thick as thieves…if you pardon the expression. But I can't help notice you never said Micah's name."

Now it was Sadie's turn to be silent. She had no idea of what, if any, relationship Dutch still had with Micah. Dutch hadn't been at Fort Mercer, and Micah wasn't here in Pleasance. She did hear they had gone their separate ways some time back, but that didn't mean that they were done with each other. Dutch looked into her eyes in that way that gave her the creeps, that sent chills down her spine even to this day. That same stare that seemed to read into people's very souls and read exactly what someone needed to hear. He drew in close, whispering in her ear.

"Sergeant Emmanuel Lee." He whispered. She just looked to him in confusion. "He's a 'Sergeant' with the Lemoyne Raiders. You should find him in these parts."

"Why would that interest me?" She asked him.

"Because not so long ago he crossed paths with a mutual acquaintance of ours." Dutch told her with a smile, before turning back towards the altar. "That lead is a couple of weeks old, so…do with it what you will but…"

"You better not be jerkin' me around Dutch." She said coldly.

"What reason would I have to do that?" He asked her. "You want to find Micah; I recommend you ask the Sergeant when he last saw him."

Back in the present, Levin almost fell out of his chair hearing this.

"Emmanuel Lee?" He asked her. "The man you brought in…"

"Before you found me, yeah." She answered. "I've been tailin' Micah Bell for nigh on eight years. I'm close Mr Levin, I'm closer than I've ever been."

She took another sip of coffee, gesturing to the barman to get more.

"This ain't just my story Mr Levin, you're about to write the story of the final days of Micah Bell if you're lucky." She told him.

"And you…you want me to do what I did for Tacitus…for Arthur." He replied with a gulp. "You want me to write you out of the story so that when this is done, you can disappear."

"It's not me I want you to write out of the story." She told him. "Between us Mr Levin, that was John Marston you saw. It was John that helped me. He's a good man, and he's setting up a good life for himself now. There ain't no reason why he has to ruin that now for Micah."

"You…you want me to…"

"I want you to put everything on me, Mr Levin." She informed him. "Like I said, people listen to what your books say Mr Levin. You tell everyone I killed Micah alone, that's exactly what they'll believe."

"You want me to put your head in a noose!" He whispered. "Mrs Adler, I…I don't…"

"Mr Levin, I've been at this a long time. I'm tired. I'm just about done." She told him. "Once Micah's gone, I don't much care what happens to me. If he kills me, that's just fine with me. If I swing…you know what? I'd be fine with that too. But there ain't nothin' for me around this country no more once he's gone. I reckon you release your book; everyone is lookin' for me and I slip out of the country. No one's gonna shed too many tears about old Micah gettin' what few brains he's got shot out."

"You want me to write John out of the story?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"Mr Levin, if you can do that, I promise you, you'll get the best story you've ever written." She replied. "Now, you think you can handle that? Or…"

She flicked her eyes in the direction of the door. As the barman arrived with the coffee and started taking away the plates, he gestured for more coffee, before picking up his pen.


	57. An Uneasy Reunion

Levin was uneasy as he packed up his belongings the following day. He didn't know if he'd made the right choice. He had always loved stories, right from when he was a child. Whether it was hearing them, composing them or re-telling them, he had always found great joy in spreading the tales of the world far and wide. Whether they were works of fiction or the tales of the history of his nation, it was always inspirational to him to hear and to analyse how perfectly ordinary people, people like himself or like any other person he met walking down the street or riding along the trails might find themselves in an adventure for the ages.

He'd found out that Sadie was just such a person. There was a time, when he would probably have walked past her without giving her a second thought and she would do the same. She had been a homesteader, a woman who had met the love of her life and wanted nothing more than to live out her life in peace. It was only a chance encounter, a dark turn of fortune that led to a series of events that had turned her into a legend. It was amazing to think that the same person who had brought in some of the most dangerous fugitives in the country had at one time been content in a life in the mountains with her husband.

It was the nature of things that people often had untold and unexpected tales. Who could tell if that man who stopped into the tavern to quietly sip exactly three whiskeys before thanking the barkeep and leaving again had been the hero of a cavalry charge? Who could tell if the man who made a living selling candy and salted meats had at one time been the cook for the most dangerous gang in the dying days of the Old West? Now it seemed that Sadie had come to trust him, or at very least see him as trustworthy enough to give him a whole new tale, one that could easily be on a par with the assassination of Jesse James or the final stand of Butch Cassidy. She had invited him on the trail of her pursuit of Micah Bell.

He had largely managed to avoid danger in his pursuit of stories. He much preferred to simply write them than be a part of them, and his time with Calloway had given him little desire to change that. But now, knowing what he knew, having heard all Sadie had already told him, he found the part of him that longed to find and preserve the most legendary tales for the ages just couldn't turn away. He had agreed to go with her, with only the promise that once it was done, he make a few careful edits, namely to say that she was responsible for it all. Not because Sadie had the ego that Calloway had. She held precisely no value on her name and reputation. But because she wanted the tale to end with her, one way or another.

Sadie had already confessed to multiple capital crimes. If he released his book as it was and the law believed the tales, the odds were she would end up with a bounty that would rival that of any of the remaining members of the Van Der Linde Gang. Her interest in the tale was to ensure that those that remained, those she knew of, would remain hidden. Her only interest was settling the score with Micah. After that, she had little interest in how her own story ended.

She had finished packing up her own horse, strapping down her supplies tightly.

"You good to go Mr Levin?" She asked him. He just nodded as he mounted up. Sadie got up on the horse and clicked her tongue, giving her the signal to begin riding.

"So, where are we heading?" He asked her.

"Well, as you know I were kind enough to watch Finley while Chief Dunbar went for a little break. During that time, we had a nice, friendly little chat." She told him. "Now, it seems that while he were skulkin' about tryin' to keep ahead of the dearly departed Mr Langton…"

She spat on the ground, indicating her disdain. He understood she'd had something of a personal and professional grudge with him now for a few years, but since Langton was now dead and Finley had been returned to Blackwater in her custody, the only real question was if Sadie killed him or John Marston had. Of course, it wasn't much of a question for the sake of his book, as far as that was concerned it would be Sadie that fired the fatal round. In the grand scheme of things, it mattered little. The shootout at Pike's Basin had taken place a long way from any witnesses so it was anyone's guess what happened in the eyes of the law and it would probably end up being taken as a very straightforward case of self-defence. She was, after all, outnumbered by Langton and his private army.

"…that some assholes that sounded an awful lot like Micah and his buddies Cleet and Joe were seen around Thieves Landing."

"Thieves Landing?" Levin asked, becoming more than a little worried. It didn't carry the name for nothing. It was at one time a trading port, but had adopted the name Thieves Landing long ago, and not without good reason. It had fallen to outlaws decades ago and was seen as something of a haven for the scum and degenerates that otherwise found it nigh near impossible to go anywhere that would come close to being described as civilisation. It had changed hands a few times over the years, being held by some self-styled liege lord or another with the guile, wit and cunning for leadership and the firepower and men to back it up or another many times.

"Near as I can tell, there was some family makin' their way to a new farm that's settin' up nearby. They hit the coach. From what I hear it weren't pretty." Sadie told him. "But according to Finley, when he left Thieves Landing, they was still there, guests of the current pack of bastards runnin' the place."

"Who is that?" He asked nervously. She just sighed.

"Some other old friends from what Finley told me." She answered him. "Apparently the Del Lobos have held it for the past couple of years. Cortez's boys are not the nicest bunch."

"Cortez?" He asked her. "As in…the man at…at Gaptooth Breach?"

"Maybe." She said with a shrug. "The man leading the Del Lobos these days is Eduardo Cortez. His two brothers Esteban and Ramon keep him at the top. Esteban were the one runnin' Gaptooth…I ain't been able to wire Tumbleweed lately so I don't know if he's still down there but if he's at Thieves Landing, gettin' to pay him back will be a nice little bonus."

She saw the way he was looking at her, and understood his terror. The last few times she'd run into the Del Lobos had not ended well for her. They had long memories, and more than a few of them had plenty of good reason to want to see her dead, not that they ever really needed much of a reason to kill in the first place. She just smiled.

"Cheer up Mr Levin." She told him. "It's real pretty country out here and we've got a long ride ahead of us."

Sadie was definitely right about that part. Thieves Landing didn't quite take them as far as New Austin, taking them mostly through the Great Plains region of West Elizabeth. Despite the growing nation and the increasing encroachment of new settlers, there was an abundance of clear, unspoiled land as far as the eye could see. The air was warm, but clear. The land was dusty, but had patches of greenery and trees that meant it would doubtless one day be turned into prime grazing or farming land.

Levin couldn't help but take sketches of this wonderful place on their ride. It was almost sad for him to think that there would come a time, probably not that long from now, when this land would no longer be the unspoiled wilderness it was now. He almost wondered if perhaps it would be best if there were some places people just didn't go.

He heard a low, rumbling sound, and his attention was brought up from the page. He almost slipped from his saddle and his horse, feeling the sudden movement, almost bucked him. Sadie reached out, grabbing the reins to steady the horse.

"Jesus!" He exclaimed.

"Keep ridin' like that you'll meet him sooner than you want to." Sadie chuckled. "You near broke your neck. What got into you?" Levin just pointed into the distance.

"Look at that!" He told her. Sadie followed his arm, looking to where he was pointing. "Look at the size of that thing!"

"That's definitely one big bastard that's for damn sure." Sadie agreed. "I heard the trappers talkin' about it. I think they call it Tatanka or somethin' like that. It's kind of a legend around these parts."

"That thing…its' the size of a stagecoach!" He exclaimed.

"Then it's probably best we don't get too near 'im then." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Buffalo tend to stay away from humans. Maybe they're the smart ones. They tend to only be a problem if you get too close and they think you're a threat to their herd."

"It is immense! Truly extraordinary!" He exclaimed. "I'd bet it could feed a whole party for days!"

"Yeah, it probably could." Sadie agreed. "But I ain't got anywhere near enough salt to keep the leftovers and Charles would not let me forget about it if I left it to rot."

"Charles?" He asked. She just looked away thoughtfully with a bright smile on her face as she nodded, her hand straying to her hair.

"Yeah, he were always big on that whole thing. He always said you don't kill what you ain't gonna use." She told him. "You know, John actually said that he found him in Saint Denis?"

"Charles Smith is back?" Levin asked her. "I thought he was in Canada."

"Yeah, it surprised the hell outta me too." Sadie told him. "I can't think why he'd come back to this shit hole. Still…I guess its nice to know he's alive. Apparently, he found Arthur and Ms Grimshaw. Buried 'em somewhere proper. I always wished I was able to get Arthur off that cliff, so I guess it's good to know someone that cared about him did right by him."

"Do you know what happened to him after that?" Levin asked her. She just looked to him.

"John said he's helpin' him set up a home somewhere out near Blackwater." She told him. "My God, Charles Smith…I ain't seen him in years. I wonder what he's been up to."

They rode on for a while after that, finding a good location to set up a camp to rest up before resuming their journey the following day. As she prepared a couple of rabbits, she'd shot in lieu of the buffalo steaks that a part of him was grateful she hadn't acquired, letting the magnificent beast go in peace, he noticed a distinct lift in her spirits. It was a little difficult to believe that this was a woman that had been only a day removed from a mass shoot-out with a previous employer, and only a day away from another with one of the most violent gangs in the country.

"So, John is setting up a home near Blackwater?" He asked her as he sketched her by the fire, preparing their meal. She just nodded.

"Yeah, that's what he said." She told him. "You'll understand if I keep the exact details of where to myself?"

"Yes, absolutely." Levin assured her. It wasn't that Sadie didn't trust him, she'd already made that more than clear with what she had already told him, even if she didn't outright say it. It was more of a precaution. Levin couldn't tell anyone anything that he didn't actually know. "I was just wondering…do you think you might drop in on him at some point?"

She just looked up to him with a stern expression.

"You know…on your own of course." He qualified. "I, of course, would wait safely in Blackwater."

"I don't know…maybe." She replied with a sigh. " He's probably got a lot on his plate right now. He took that Finley job with me to help pay for his new home. Turns out new lives are pretty damn expensive."

"So, you gave him a share of the bounty?" He asked her. Sadie just shrugged.

"It's not like I'm gonna need too much is it?" She asked him. "If it can do him some good, then why not?"

She took some rabbit off the spit and threw it to him.

"Here." She told him. "Eat up. There's still a way to go, and I ain't plannin' on hangin' around too long. Somethin' tells me them Del Lobo boys ain't gonna be too sociable."

The following day, they resumed their journey. Sadie had bought a map of the area from the store before they left, and showed Levin where they were and where they were going. She'd already figured out a safe place for him to wait while she headed to Thieves Landing.

"Alright, so if you wait there, I'll come right along once I get a hold of one of the Cortez boys." She told him. "I'm not plannin' on bein' long and I'd say it's probably for the best if we move pretty quick once I get him."

"Mrs Adler, are you sure about this?" He asked her. "I mean, it's Thieves Landing!"

"Yeah, and?" She asked.

"You have no idea how many of them there are!" He reminded her.

"Which is why I want to be quiet and I want to be smart." She told him. "Remember, if you can't out shoot them, you gotta out-think them."

"Well, what if one of them catches you?" He asked. "What if you're seen?"

"Then…I guess your book's gonna be a couple of chapters shorter." Sadie said matter-of-factly. Just then, she saw something up ahead. "What the hell?"

"What's that?" He asked her. "What's going on?"

Sadie got out her binoculars and checked out the scene. There were a number of horses and men a little way off, seeming to be out in the middle of nowhere. The lack of wagons and baggage made it seem like they couldn't have journeyed far, which seemed a little odd to her since they were miles from the nearest settlement. She adjusted the dial, getting a clear look and smiled.

"Mr Levin, I think our luck might just be turnin'." She told him. "You see them boys up ahead? They're Del Lobos."

"They are?" He asked. "Shit, then we should go, they might see us…"

"They ain't got baggage so they can't have gone far, which means they're from Thieves Landing." Sadie told him. "They have a couple of folks with them, probably some poor bastards they're robbin'. You wait here."

"But Mrs Adler…"

"If I manage to have a word with one of 'em I might be able to find out about the Cortez brothers!" She pointed out. "Besides, we don't want to risk 'em seein' us and headin' back to Thieves Landing right?"

Levin couldn't argue the logic in that point. Sadie got off her horse and pulled the repeater from her saddle, before running, keeping low and using the scenery to keep her hidden. Levin watched her go, keeping a very safe berth. The last thing he wanted was to be anywhere nearby when the first shots were fired.

Sadie got as close as she could without being seen, taking up some cover behind a rock. She could see that the Del Lobos had a couple of people with them, both of them bound, and by the looks of things it wasn't a robbery. It was more like they were having fun with them. One of the victims had been pegged out on the ground, left for the predators and the scavengers to feast on, while another was tied to an oxen yoke, struggling to get free. They were drinking and watching on in glee, relishing watching. She took a look through her binoculars, seeing the one that was pegged out was in a bad way. Way too much of a bad way. He was naked, and his flesh was already discoloured, red from the sun, and there were already numerous wounds on his body. Bites from opportunistic predators. The poor bastard must have been out there for hours, and it seemed like the other one was being forced to watch what they no doubt had planned for him next.

Sadie put her binoculars away and readied her repeater. She took careful aim with her first shot, but after thinking about it for a moment, something in her made her change her target. The first round she fired through the pegged-out prisoner's skull, putting the poor bastard out of his misery. There was no way he was going to make it to a settlement in his condition.

The Del Lobos realised they were under fire and turned to see where the shot had come from. Sadie stood up, and taking careful aim she let loose with a volley, taking down a couple of them. She broke cover, running towards them. She had picked her approach well, the sun at her back, meaning that they had to stare straight into the glare to try and aim at her.

Drawing her revolvers, she sprinted, unwavering as the shots whizzed past her.

She picked out her targets. Three, four headshots in quick succession, but she was careful to make sure the last one she only got in his gun-arm. She smashed him in the face with one of her revolvers as she got to him, sending him to the ground.

"It ain't so nice when you're the victim is it?" She asked. "Maybe I should peg you out here for the buzzards how about that?"

"You bitch…"

"Mister, you ain't in a position you should be insultin' me." She told him, putting one of her revolvers away, keeping the other trained on him. "In fact, if I were you, I'd think this is the time to be very charmin' indeed. Now, you just sit tight there, in a minute we're gonna chat about the Cortez boys…"

"You insane?" He shrieked. "If I talk about the Cortez boys, I'm dead!"

"If you don't, I'll kill you!" She warned him. "I'll just take longer about it and probably enjoy it a lot more too. Now, you just sit tight right there while I check on this other feller, or I'm gonna blow both your kneecaps off you got me?"

She started to back towards the other man, keeping her gun trained on the last Del Lobo.

"You good there mister?" She asked.

"Do I look alright?" He barked in a gruff voice that sparked something in Sadie's mind. He looked up to her. "Aw shit, you gotta be kiddin' me!"

Sadie turned towards him, and her jaw almost hit the ground.

"You are fucking kidding me!" She gasped. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was so distracted she almost didn't hear the last Del Lobo move to go for a hidden derringer. She spun around and fired, putting a couple of rounds straight through his heart. She didn't have a choice, he'd caught her by surprise, but it now meant that she couldn't' question him. "Son of a bitch, now look what you made me do!"

"What I made you do?" The prisoner growled. Levin had seen the shoot out from a safe distance and had figured it was now safe for him to join her.

"Mrs Adler, are you alright?" He asked her. She just sighed and put away her revolver.

"Well, that remains to be seen." She answered, gesturing to the prisoner. Levin started to rummage around, looking for a knife.

"Don't worry sir, I'll cut you free…" Sadie grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Mrs Adler, what are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm just seein' what this son of a bitch is doin' out here." She told him. "You been messin' around with Del Lobos?"

"Does it LOOK like I'm one of them?" He demanded.

"Mrs Adler, I don't understand…"

"Oh, sorry Mr Levin, I forgot to introduce you." She said with a little smirk on her face. "Theodore Levin, meet Bill Williamson."

"I swear I'd probably prefer being left to the Del Lobos." Bill grunted. "Are you gonna cut me free or not?"

"Well, that depends Bill." She replied. "What can you tell me about them?" Bill just gave her a hateful glare as he continued to struggle against his bonds.


	58. Williamson's Tale

Later, after setting up camp, Bill, Levin and Sadie were all sitting around the fire. They had to move far enough from Thieves Landing that no one would find them if they came looking for their wayward friends. It had taken quite a while, but Sadie had ensured that they took the bodies with them. As harsh as it sounded, missing friends was less likely to cause a panic than dead friends. Gangs operated in such a way that it wasn't unusual for their members to wander off after a lead or even just to seek some booze or pleasurable company and not be back for several days. As long as when they returned, they put a fair share of the proceeds of their activities into the pot, no one really worried too much. Insisting on set times people had to check in felt far too much like honest employment for most.

They still had no idea why Bill and the other guy he was with had been marked for execution, but it was pretty clear that's what the Del Lobos they were with were doing with them. If no one could find them afterwards, she hoped that they would spend a few hours looking, then assume they had wandered off somewhere to relax and assume they'd be back at some point. Sadie had disposed of the bodies in a well-known hotspot for scavengers a few miles away, but for some reason that neither of them really felt the need to ask about, Bill had insisted that they keep the body of the man they had pegged out in the son with them. It was lying wrapped in a blanket a few feet away.

Levin had heard much about Bill Williamson. His name might not have reached the levels of Dutch or Micah in infamy, but as one of the strongest guns in the Van Der Linde Gang, he still commanded a high price pretty much everywhere. People often spoke of him as being a large, muscular and imposing brute, but this was one of the few instances where the descriptions weren't exaggerated to the point that seeing him was a disappointment. Hell, if anything the descriptions didn't do him justice! He was sitting to Levin's left, an absolute monster of a man, even now. He was immense, tall, broad, utterly terrifying to look at, with hands so huge that when he helped himself to a beer the bottle all but disappeared in his hands. His appearance was quite scruffy, not that Levin was surprised considering the fact he had likely been tied up for hours out on the plain. His face was reddened, and his beard and moustache were wild and shaggy, giving him an appearance much like a bear. His clothing was worn and dirty. He had a cavalry pin on the brim of his hat, a testament to a time where the man had at one time worked for the same Government, he spent the remainder of his life thumbing his nose at. The fact he still wore it was like his way of spitting in their eye every time he pulled a job. Levin had eventually convinced Sadie to untie him, but to say that the meeting was still somewhat less than a welcome encounter between old friends…

"You gonna point that thing somewhere else?" Bill asked gruffly. Sadie was sitting across from him, her repeater trained on him. She had wanted to leave him tied up, and it wasn't outside the realms of Levin's imagination to think she'd have no problem leaving him to the elements. The only reason she took him with them was because he was the only one still alive from her fight with the Del Lobos and she wanted someone to talk. It was definitely not a reunion between friends.

"Bill, there are only three reasons I haven't blown your brains out already." She told him. "One is because I ain't even sure there's anything up there to shoot. Second, I want to know what the Del Lobos wanted you dead for…not that I can really blame 'em…"

"If you wanted me dead, you'd have shot me already!" He responded with a hearty chuckle, drinking some more beer. "You was crazy then and by the looks of things you ain't got any less crazy over the years."

"Well, if you know I ain't right in the head, maybe you should think its in your best interests to tell me what I want to know." She warned him. "The third reason your useless ass is still alive is because as dumb as you are, since you been out here, you might have heard something about Micah."

Bill's mood noticeably darkened at the mention of Micah's name. Levin was worried in case Sadie set him off. Given the size of him, despite how good a shot Sadie was, he wasn't entirely certain that one bullet would be enough to bring him down.

"I heard he were out here." Bill told her. "I…I came out here to get some refuge. Things ain't been that good lately. I've been doin' some jobs around the place, but since Dutch…well…"

"I heard about a train job up near Riggs, one of the guys described sounded a lot like you." Sadie responded, sipping from a beer. "I heard it were a real shit show."

"How the hell was I meant to know there weren't any money?" Bill snapped.

"It was a lumber train you idiot!" Sadie answered back.

"What, they don't pay lumbermen no more?" Bill asked her. Sadie just sighed and shook her head.

"I think we've got slightly off-topic here." Levin replied. "I understand there's some history between you and…"

"And why would anyone give a shit what you think?" Bill yelled at him, causing Levin to fall off the rock he was using as a seat in fear. He flicked a thumb in his direction. "Who's this asshole anyway?"

"He's kind of my biographer." Sadie told him.

"Biographer?" Bill spluttered, laughing as he was trying to take a gulp of beer. He started laughing heartily, but after a while he realised that Sadie wasn't reacting to his behaviour at all. "Who the hell wants to read about a crazy bitch like you?"

"I don't really think that's any of your concern now Bill, especially when I got a split-point round in here just beggin' to take the back of your head off." She told him somewhat worryingly casually. "But he makes a point. What were you doin' out there?"

"Well, I heard Micah had taken up with the Del Lobos and I figured if they'd take him, they'd take anyone." Bill muttered. Sadie just looked at him curiously as he took some meat, chewing on it, before realising she was still staring. "What? I needed somewhere to keep my head down! Not all of us was lucky enough to be so invisible that no one knew or gave a shit what we did."

"Keep talkin' Williamson." She warned him, patting the repeater. Bill just sighed.

"Well, you should know better'n anyone that the world is becomin' a mighty small place for folks like us nowadays." Bill continued. "Javier said he'd be better off takin' his chances down in Mexico a couple of years back. Asked me to go along with him if you can believe that. What the hell would I want to go to Mexico for?"

"First question Bill, is Micah there?" Sadie asked him. He just shook his head. "Last I heard he was still dealin' with them."

"Yeah, I heard about that run-in you had with him at Mercer." Bill chuckled. "Believe me, there are a whole bunch of boys down that way that still want you dead."

"Yeah, well the number of people that want me dead is a pretty long list." Sadie said in an off-hand way. "I heard that Cortez knows where Micah is…"

"Micah?" He asked as he looked to her a little interested by what she had said. "That's what this is about? You're goin' after Micah."

"Do you give a shit?" Sadie asked him. "From what I heard; you were standin' shoulder to shoulder with him when all that shit went down at Beaver Hollow."

"I give a shit when some lunatic is pointin' a gun at my head!" Bill responded. "Besides, you want to know about the Cortez brothers, right? Well, I just so happen to have been ridin' with them Del Lobos for a couple of weeks now."

Sadie just sighed and put her repeater down, before gesturing to him.

"Alright then Williamson, you got my attention." She told him. He looked around.

"You got any tobacco?" He asked. Sadie just groaned and tossed him a tin.

"You better be tellin' me somethin' good Williamson." She replied. Bill took some tobacco, and started to chew it. He settled back, resting against a tree as he prepared to begin.

"After the train job, I got to Thieves' Landing. I'd heard about that little shit show in Fort Mercer and knew Micah had bought himself a nice little place with the gang for protection. I figured if they'd take him, they'd take me. I didn't have a whole hell of a lot of other choices and they weren't too picky so we got talkin' and agreed a price. Twenty cents out of every dollar goes to the gang."

"Twenty cents?" Sadie asked. "Old Dutch asked for fifty!"

"So, I've been there a while, rode on a few jobs with 'em. Whenever they need a rifle or someone that knows their way around explosives, they have work. In return, there ain't too many folks that like to go to Thieves' Landing so I got to avoid a hangin' for some time."

"What about the Cortez boys?" Sadie asked him. Bill swigged some more beer.

"Estoban is the youngest, also the meanest. Him you know real well." Bill told her, chuckling. "He's the one that runs Gaptooth Breach."

"Ran." Sadie corrected him. Bill shook his head in response.

"You think they'd let a sweet deal like that go? A gold mine that don't belong to anyone?" He asked her. "They moved back in a while after that thing in Tumbleweed. They don't take slaves no more, they figured that draws too much heat, but they still work that mine. Boys that fuck up, owe the gang a debt, they pay it off there until Estoban says they can come back and be real Del Lobos. He's a cruel, mean son of a bitch, but he's too much of a hot head for Ramon's liking. They let him run things out there to keep him out the way."

"He's too much of a hot head but you get to stay?" Sadie asked him. Bill just made a face to show his annoyance at her insult. Still, Sadie had suffered under Estoban's hand for close to six months, so she could understand largely what he was talking about.

"Eduardo is Ramon's right-hand man. He's the one that keeps the men in line and gives out the jobs." Bill continued. "He's a lot smarter than Estoban, and Ramon trusts him to keep the boys workin' and make sure everyone pays their dues. If they don't, he deals with it."

"So, Ramon is the one that runs the show." Sadie surmised. Bill just nodded.

"He's smart, some of them say he went to some school or other, that he was part of the army down south or somethin' but whatever the truth is, he's the one that directs things. He plans the jobs; he tells Eduardo what he wants the boys to do and he deals with the money. He runs everything from the biggest ship in the dock there. People say he has some big stash somewhere…"

"Sounds familiar." Sadie interrupted him. She just jerked her head in the direction of the body in the blanket. "So, who's that guy?"

"Miguel." Bill answered her. "He was a friend. Me and him went on a whole bunch of jobs together. We brought in some money, we had some laughs, but Eduardo took a dislikin' to us. One day we did somethin' that pissed him off enough to talk Ramon into cuttin' us loose and…well…"

He looked over to the body in the blanket. After he finished his beer, Sadie got him another, handing it to him.

"Just this once Williamson." She told him flatly.

"Anyway, before everything went to shit, I got close enough to Ramon to hear a few conversations. Turns out he's still in touch with old Micah every now and then." Bill informed her. "I have no idea where he is, but if anyone does, it's Ramon."

"And Ramon is on a ship surrounded by dozens of Del Lobos who all hate my guts." Sadie summarised, looking to Levin. "Sounds like you're gonna have a real interestin' chapter for your book there."

"I want to come!" Bill told her. Sadie just looked to him incredulously.

"What'd you say?" She asked him.

"They killed…" He said, before stopping himself. "The bastards tried to kill me! You want in, you know you could do with as many guns as possible, and this guy right here don't exactly look like Landon Ricketts now does he?"

"Don't worry, I take absolutely no offence." Levin said, holding up his hands. He had neither the skill nor the desire to get involved in a shoot-out. He carried a revolver like many people, but the last time he tried to use it he was closer to hitting the moon than he was the bottle he was aiming at. He'd long since figured out that he was much more comfortable with a pen and a typewriter than he ever was with his fists or a gun. Sometimes it felt a little hypocritical for him to be writing stories glorifying those that participated in legendary battles and gruesome acts of violence, but whenever he did feel that his instinct to run and hide rather than fight like the heroes of his stories made him a coward, he did like to think that there was a good reason he had outlived many of the protagonists in his stories by a good margin.

"You think I want you watching my back?" Sadie asked him. "If I'm gonna eat a bullet I'm gonna take it from the front."

"Mrs Adler, I heard about that thing at Mercer, and from what I heard, you had a God damned army and ended up barely makin' it out alive." Bill told her.

"I'd hardly call Langton and his boys an army." Sadie snorted in response. Bill just looked to her.

"I don't think it's any secret that I don't like you much, hell I don't think I ever did." Bill told her. "And you've made it clear that feelin' is more than mutual, but believe me, I got a lot more beef with Eduardo than I ever did with you, and even I'm smart enough to know goin' into Thieves' Landing alone is a good way to eat a whole lot of bullets."

Sadie hated to admit it, but he did have a point. The last time she ran up against the Del Lobos had not ended well for her. Thieves' Landing was not exactly a fort, but what it lacked in fortification, it made up for in lines of approach. It would be all too easy to get surrounded or flanked. She had no idea how many people were camping at the former trading post, and there were all too many places for people to hide. She got into his face, pulling out a revolver and sticking it under his chin.

"In all those years I was a bounty hunter, I never came after you boys. Not even you Williamson." She told him. "I heard your names, I saw the posters, but damn it all if I didn't still feel like…I got two conditions Williamson."

"What conditions?" He asked her.

"Once this is done, we're done. We go our separate ways." She told him.

"Fine by me." He responded. "And the second?"

"I need Ramon alive." She told him. "Everyone else, I don't give a shit about, but if somethin' happens to Ramon, I'll take your useless carcass into the nearest town for the bounty. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear." He replied, offering her a hand for a handshake. She just put away the revolver and backed away.

"Don't push your luck." She answered. "Get some rest. We're goin' to check out Thieves' Landing tomorrow."

As they both went to different parts of the camp, setting up the bedrolls, they never spoke another word the rest of the night. Levin took the opportunity to set up his own bedroll and tried as best he could to rest. All that night, right up until the moment he couldn't stay awake any longer, all he could wonder is whether whatever bond they once had with the Van Der Linde Gang was stronger than the anger, they clearly felt for each other.


	59. The Ballad of Bill Williamson

Sadie, Levin and Bill headed out for Thieves' Landing the following day. They took care to keep away from main roads, which Bill assured them that the Del Lobos kept a close eye on. The whole ride, Sadie ensured that Bill was where she could see him. Levin did feel a little comfort in her presence, but he was still finding it difficult to believe he was riding only a few feet away from one of the most prolific killers of the Golden Age of outlaws. He had, of course, met and spoken with Arthur Morgan back in the day, but he only learned afterwards who he was.

It wasn't difficult to feel the tension between them. It had been eight years now since Sadie and Bill had ridden together with the Van Der Linde Gang, but while a lot of time had passed and both of them had led their own very different lives, it was clear there was still a lot of ill feeling between them. He understood why Sadie would be reluctant to trust Bill. Shortly after their last job together, he had sided with Dutch and Micah when Arthur confronted Dutch about the direction they were taking as a group. She hadn't been in Beaver Hollow when it all went to Hell. Arthur had insisted she take Abigail, Jack and Tilly and ensure they left. Bill, however, had been there. He'd heard what Dutch had done. He'd seen John return with his own eyes, he'd heard about all the lies and all the betrayal and yet still, before the Pinkertons swept through like a prairie fire, he had sided with Dutch against Arthur.

They came to a vantage point close enough to the settlement to let them get a view of it, without letting them get too close. After setting up a camp, Sadie had told Levin to wait there for them to return, and they had both headed out on foot. A part of him worried about what might happen after that. He took some binoculars from Sadie's saddlebag and watched them as they headed out, half worried that it wouldn't be long before he heard any shots. He was a little surprised that there wasn't some action. If anything, the two of them seemed to move almost instinctively with each other. For the first time since he'd seen them, he could see them as having once been part of a cohesive unit, working together in one of the deadliest gangs to ever exist. They barely needed to even signal each other, almost like they each knew already what they wanted the other to do. When they were almost at the settlement, they split off, heading in different directions. He kept a close eye, wondering when the action would begin. He was a little surprised when instead, after almost an hour, he saw them both heading back, with not a single shot being fired.

"Mr Levin, do you make a habit of helpin' yourself to a lady's luggage?" Sadie teased him as she arrived back.

"It might be an issue if there were a lady around." Bill answered sarcastically. Sadie just snorted in disgust.

"Just shut up and light a fire, would you Williamson?" She asked as she started to look out some supplies. Levin just looked confused. "What? You ain't hungry?"

"I just…I thought you were going to attack the settlement." Levin responded. Sadie and Bill looked to each other, before laughing.

"Just when I thought all you writer types were smart." Bill replied in a hearty guffaw as he got some matches and started to light the fire. "Why in the hell would two of us attack a God Damned town full of Del Lobos that want us dead in broad daylight?"

Levin didn't have an answer for that. When they said it out loud like that it did sound like a pretty stupid thing to do. Between Sadie's reputation as a bounty hunter and her previous run-ins with the Del Lobos, he was pretty sure most of them would want her dead. As for Bill, given the way they found him the previous day, it seemed like they had already marked him for death.

Levin sat back and kept quiet as they prepared themselves a meal and sat by the fire. Sadie and Bill drew up a rough map in the dirt and were discussing what they had seen. It was one of the strangest things he had seen, watching them discuss their findings. It most certainly wasn't old friends, but it was pretty hard for him to believe that only hours earlier Sadie had been quite open about the fact she had no problem leaving Bill to his fate and even threatening to kill him herself more than once. Bill had very few complimentary words about her as well, but right now, it was all business.

"I saw a couple right here." Sadie said, marking a spot on the ground. "That were the main entrance. I only saw two by there, but that's a nice, long, clear line of sight, and that ship at the end of the dock, that raised deck would make a pretty nice perch for someone with a rifle."

"This area here's mostly cargo." Bill said, marking out another area. "I heard a couple of folks, but when I looked through the fence, I could only see crates, so it's gonna be pretty close quarters in there."

It was remarkable seeing the difference in them. Bill didn't strike him as the world's deepest thinker, and Sadie had certainly made clear she didn't think much of his intelligence, but listening to him speak, he could only recall Sadie telling him about doing jobs with Bill in the past. While they did quite often fall apart once the initial attack began, he did seem to carry at least some tactical thought from his military days. If Bill was just a mindless bruiser, he would probably have fallen long ago, certainly once the Van Der Linde Gang broke up and he no longer had the superior planners like Dutch or Hosea to rely on.

"You got enough charges?" Sadie asked him. Bill just nodded.

"If we go in real quiet and set charges here, here and here…that should drive most of them bastards around this way where we can see 'em all at once."

"You're sure about the guards?" Sadie asked him. Bill just glared at her.

"It might have gone to shit, but I was there for a couple 'a weeks." He reminded her. "Most of 'em get drunk and pass out in the buildings or on the ship come nightfall. If we keep out of sight until we're ready to start things, we should be able to take a few of 'em down nice and quiet."

"You got knives?" She asked him. Bill just glared at her, before pulling back his coat, revealing a rather worrying collection of blades, not least of which was a bowie knife that looked large enough to hack down a tree if Bill got a mind to do so. "Good, then I won't need to lend you any of mine. We'll move in after dark. Mr Levin?"

Levin almost fell off his seat with a start at being addressed. He wondered if they had forgotten he was even there.

"Bill and I need to get some rest in. You wake us up when it gets dark." She told him.

With that, they both headed to different parts of the camp, unfurling their bedrolls.

"What do I do if we're found?" He asked her.

"You got a gun, don't you?" She asked him. "Well, a couple of shots should wake us up."

Levin just nodded in understanding. He much preferred that plan to trying to use the gun to actually defend the camp himself. He settled back onto his seat as Sadie and Bill both lay on their bedrolls and quickly got off to sleep.

A few hours later, as the sun was starting to set, Levin gently woke them both up. He had put on some coffee, knowing by now that Sadie had a taste for coffee straight after waking up. Bill had his own preparation. He rolled over on his bedroll, pulled a bottle of whiskey out of his saddlebag and took a long swig that killed nearly a quarter of the bottle in what looked like one gulp.

"Remember Williamson, I need Ramon alive." She reiterated as she took a sip of coffee. "What happens to the rest of 'em, I really don't give a shit, but Ramon I need alive."

"God, even after all these years you don't think I can remember a simple instruction and need tellin' over and over." He grumbled.

"I ain't the one that killed the train driver and parked it at the bottom of Bacchus Gorge." Sadie reminded him. Bill just snorted.

"You ain't gonna let that go, are you?" He asked her. "We got off the train, didn't we?"

"Barely." She answered. She then looked to Levin. "Mr Levin, I really hope your book don't end here, but if somethin' goes wrong down there, you just get your horse and get goin'."

Levin nodded in understanding. He didn't really need to be told, against seasoned gang members like the Del Lobos, he knew he wouldn't last long. Sadie reached into her saddlebag, pulling out her binoculars and handing them to her.

"Just so you don't need to go through my luggage again." She told him. With that, she and Bill headed out of the camp. Levin got to a good spot and watched them.

He had seen Sadie fight before, but this was different. Watching as she and Bill quickly, but silently made their way towards Thieves' Landing, he kept track of them until they split off and headed in different directions.

He had a little trouble keeping track of where they were, between the dark and the cover, they were slipping in and out of his sight. He saw a guard making his way towards a bush to relieve himself, only for Bill to appear as if from nowhere and grab him, ramming his blade right into his back. Another guard fell in another area, a knife lodged in his eye as Sadie scrambled to collect it and head on.

He was absolutely astounded to watch them both. It was now easy to see how the Van Der Linde Gang had come to earn the reputation they once had. Bill, for his size, moved with a speed and stealth that Levin would never have believed possible. Before long, he could see them coming back together, with Bill having something in his hand, a spool. He watched them both move clear, spooling out some line until they got to an old outhouse. Bill started to wire up a detonator while Sadie got her repeater ready.

Over at the outhouse, Sadie readied her weapons, before looking to Bill.

"You got that wired up yet?" She asked him. Bill just nodded, setting his bolt-action rifle aside, before resting his hands on the detonator. "Right, if we just…"

Before she could finish, Bill shoved down on the plunger, setting off the charges. There were some screams as people became aware of the attack, and areas of the settlement fell inward. She had to give it to Bill, when it came to demolitions, he was the man to ask. Any of the areas he hadn't sealed off, he had pretty effectively discouraged anyone from going anywhere near. Bill snatched up his rifle and stood up as the first Del Lobos appeared at the main gate.

"BILL YOU IDIOT!" She screamed as Bill started to open fire.

"Thought you'd seen the last of me huh?" Bill yelled as he took down some of them with expert aim. "Where are you Eduardo you yellow-bellied bastard?"

"Bill, what the hell are you…BILL!" Sadie screamed as he charged towards them. The Del Lobos coming out of the gate were staggering, bloodied and disorientated. Sadie quickly realised any opportunity to hold back and take them at a distance was long past as Bill rushed towards them, stopping only for a few shots. She covered him as best she could as she moved up to support him.

Bill smashed one of the Del Lobos in the face with the butt of his rifle, almost knocking his head clean off, before barging another to the ground and blowing his head off at point-blank range. Sadie kept others off Bill as they rushed in, taking advantage of the surprise and ferocity of the attack. Moving in, they quickly found the only real resistance coming from the ship. Fire rained down on them from the ship, forcing them to take cover.

"We need to do something about those God damned rifles on the upper deck!" Sadie stated. "How many you count?"

"I count two." He responded.

"Same here." Sadie replied. "On three…one, two…THREE!"

They both popped up, taking careful aim and killing the two covering riflemen. They didn't even need to decide between them which they were aiming at. They both ducked down again as the return fire came.

"God damn it, we need to get them off that ship!" Bill yelled. Sadie reached into her coat, pulling out a couple of sticks of dynamite.

"You ain't the only one that likes these." She told him, lighting the fuse. They threw the dynamite onto the ship, at which the Del Lobos very quickly realised the danger they were in. They leapt over the sides of the ship shortly before the explosions ripped through.

There were only about a dozen left by the time Sadie and Bill ordered them all into the middle of what was left of the settlement. They were all forced to kneel, clasping their hands behind their heads. Bill kept them covered while Sadie had a look around. None of them were Ramon, and she did worry that perhaps he had been killed in the chaos of the fight. She checked over the corpses, getting flashes of a time after the battle at Shady Belle where she spent most of the night looking to see if one of the O'Driscolls was Tom, the man who had murdered her husband. In truth, she really didn't care too much what happened to Ramon once she found out what she knew. She heard that he was wanted up in Rhodes, but that just meant a convenient place to take him to ask questions more than anything else.

After satisfying herself that he wasn't there, she came out to the middle of the settlement, where Bill was keeping them covered.

"Alright, now you are all in a pretty precarious position right now. As of this moment you're more use to me alive than dead." She announced. "How long that remains to be the case depends on which one of you can tell me where Ramon Cortez is."

"Hold on a second." Bill told her, putting his rifle aside. He walked over to one of them, grabbing him and yanking him to his feet roughly.

"Bill, what are you doin'?" She asked him.

"Just settlin' a score." Bill told her. "Ain't that right Eduardo?"

"Eduardo?" She asked. She knew that Ramon's brother was also in the settlement, and it looked like Bill was now singling him out. It made sense in a way, if any of them knew where Ramon was, it was going to be his brother. Bill threw him to the ground a little way off.

"You tried to have me killed. You had Miguel killed, but you didn't have the guts to do it yourself!" Bill snarled as he kicked him, sending him flying a little way. Bill beckoned him to get up as Sadie kept the others covered with her repeater.

"Bill, we need him to talk!" She reminded him.

"No, you need him to talk." Bill corrected her as he beckoned him to get up. Eduardo started to try and get to his feet. "I need him to SUFFER!"

Eduardo came for Bill, swinging wildly, but Bill pretty quickly cut off any fight he might have had in him with a hard punch to the ribs, followed by a headbutt that made a sound so horrifying even Sadie flinched a little hearing it.

Bill knelt down over him and started to rain punches in on him. Sadie could hear the savageness in his voice and see his face glowing bright red as he hammered blow after bone-crunching blow into him.

"Bill, I need him alive!" She told him. Bill didn't listen though. Clamping his hands either side of Eduardo's head, completely enveloping it in his gigantic hands, he started to smash the back of his head into the ground. "BILL!"

It was too late though, with one last drive, Eduardo's head completely smashed open, leaving Bill's hands slick with his blood and brain matter. Bill got up to his feet breathlessly as Sadie looked to him.

"Bill, I needed him…"

"Ramon's probably in Painted Sky." Bill told her. She just looked to him. "He has some kind of business deal, protection I think, with the guy that owns the place. He goes out there pretty regular."

"You…you knew he wouldn't be here?" Sadie asked him. Bill just turned and glared at her, his eyes still burning with rage. He was breathless with exertion. He just smiled.

"You always were a good one to ride with on a job." He told her. Sadie just shook her head in disgust, before walking away. Bill turned his attention to the remaining Del Lobos. "This here is no longer Del Lobos. You are now the Bill Williamson Gang! Does anyone have a problem with that?"

Sadie did have what she wanted, she knew where Ramon was, but she couldn't help feeling aggrieved that she had been played by Bill Williamson of all people. He knew all along that Ramon wasn't in Thieves' Landing. He let her think he was to get her help in settling his score with Eduardo. She didn't have the energy to deal with it now.

A full day later, the dust had settled over Thieves' Landing. Those that remained had been put to work repairing the settlement. Sadie had taken the precaution of moving the camp, just in case of the instance Bill's paper-thin loyalty finally wore out and he decided to send 'his' new gang after her. Others arrived, but since there was no fighting that she could see, it looked like they pretty quickly came to accept their new leadership.

The following night, Bill was by himself a little way from the settlement, kneeling by the banks of the river. He was hunched over, attending to something. Sadie had seen him there, with none of his men around and decided to get a measure of closure on the matter before she moved on. As she approached quietly, she could see his shoulders moving, and he had a bottle in his hand that he regularly took swigs out of. There were two empty ones nearby that let her know he'd been there a while, and now was as good a time as any to finish things. As she levelled her revolver at the back of his head, cocking the hammer, Bill heard her, and turned slowly towards her. His eyes were red, but not just from the drink. Marks on his cheeks showed that he had been crying. He wiped his nose with his sleeve, before turning his attention back to whatever he was doing.

"Why Bill?" She asked him. Bill didn't say anything, which only infuriated her further. "I SAID WHY?"

She pistol-whipped him in the side of the skull, knocking him over. She kept her gun on him as he sprawled on the ground. As she moved to cover him though, she could finally see what he was kneeling over.

There was a pile of stones on the ground, lying on top of freshly-dug ground. A wooden cross was erected at the end, onto which the name Miguel was carved. A crucifix was hung over it, just over the crossbar. Sadie looked to it and sighed. It was clear that Bill had put a lot of effort into the grave, and by the looks of things he had done it himself. No one else from the gang had been out here the whole day. Something in her started to change. She now understood.

"Micah's a snake." Bill told her drunkenly. "I knew it from long before everything went to shit."

He got up slowly, but he didn't make any moves towards her. He just looked to the grave.

"I know you hate him for what happened. But I hate his guts too." Bill told her.

"Then why did you stand with him?" Sadie asked him.

"I didn't side with him, I sided with DUTCH!" Bill yelled at her, staggering a little. "The army didn't want me! The cities didn't want me! Hell, no one wanted me but Dutch…Dutch and the others, hell, even you for all the times you were a pain in my ass…you wanted me! I had a place where I belonged! I had a family!"

Bill took another swig from his bottle, before falling to his knees before the grave, sobbing.

"When Arthur started talkin' about how it was over…I just…I didn't want it to end. I never wanted it to end! I didn't want to go back to just bein' nothin' bein' some bastard that no one wanted!" He told her. "I knew Micah were no good, but Arthur was the one tellin' me that it was all over and I just…I couldn't…"

"It were Micah that ended it." Sadie told him. Bill just took more whiskey and sniffed.

"You think I don't know that now?" He asked her. "I spent a lot of years with Dutch, a lot of years with folks that gave a shit about me, that gave me somewhere I belonged…then I went back to bein' nothin'."

He reached out, his hand touching the stones on the grave.

"Until…until I found somewhere, I belonged again." Bill told her. "Then Eduardo came along and took that too. Maybe the only way I can find that again is to be the one to make it myself."

Sadie reset the hammer of her revolver and put it away, surprising Bill. She then just turned and walked away. She understood all too well what it was like to lose everything that she loved, everything that mattered to her. For all the anger she felt at Bill for abandoning Arthur, she couldn't bring herself to finish him off. She knew more than most that there was nothing she could do to him that would be worse than what he was already going through.


	60. Under a Painted Sky

The trail was quiet as Levin went with Sadie back North. Their trip to Thieves' Landing hadn't been quite as fruitful as she had first hoped, and it was pretty clear she was disappointed. Levin didn't really want to risk pushing any buttons, he'd been around Sadie long enough to know that a disappointed Sadie and a pissed off Sadie weren't that far apart, and a pissed off Sadie was something he really didn't want to be around. It had been good for him, and for his book, after all a chance encounter with Bill Williamson was definitely something that had sparked his interest. But as much as it meant a couple of interesting chapters for his book, they were little closer to finding Micah.

Eduardo was dead, and it was his brother Ramon that led the gang and he was the one that had the most direct dealings with Micah. If anyone knew where Micah had gone, it would be him. They were now following Bill's lead, a vague thought that he might be up in Painted Sky. Painted Sky was a farm, one that had somewhat of a chequered record over the years. It was run by a man who seemed to have picked fertile enough ground for growing, but had been unfortunate enough to pick somewhere that wasn't on any well-travelled roads. As Valentine and Strawberry built up, most of the main trails between them just happened to run just a little way from where Painted Sky was, meaning it had never really been a hot trading point and other nearby farms were far more successful. There was talk that many of the farmers had greased a few palms with those forming the trails and trade routes between Valentine and Strawberry, and frankly it would be no surprise if that was the case. No bank would touch Painted Sky and so the rumour was that it had existed on flitting from money lender to money lender, using the latest one to pay off the previous one for many years. Sadie had already informed him that back in the day, the Van Der Linde Gang had lent to him at one time and Arthur had gone to collect. The fact he was now using the Del Lobos was a sign that his financial decisions hadn't gotten any better in 8 years.

"The Bill Williamson Gang." She muttered for seemingly the thousandth time bitterly. "Jesus, I can't think of anything worse."

"Then why didn't you stop him?" Levin asked her.

"I guess…I guess I felt sorry for him in a way." She sighed. "I know what it's like to lose what he's lost."

Levin looked to her curiously. He had seen her confronting him in the dark, but he hadn't been anywhere near close enough to hear what they had said to each other. He was about to ask, but she just laughed a little.

"Would you listen to me? Who'da thought I'd ever be able to say I had something in common with Bill Williamson?" She asked as they headed along the trail. "Besides, he's an idiot. Bill in charge of a gang? How dangerous could that possibly be? He and his little band will probably all be shot or hung inside a week if they follow his ideas."

Levin wasn't quite so sure about Sadie's dismissive account of Bill's abilities. He might never have risen to the highest levels of prominence in the Van Der Linde Gang, but that was because they were made almost exclusively of some of the most talented and legendary guns ever to ride the plains. He'd seemed plenty dangerous to Levin seeing him and Sadie quickly take Thieves' Landing from a much larger gang of Del Lobos in a matter of minutes. He noticed Sadie pulling off along a side track, and paused.

"Mrs Adler, Painted Sky is up this way." He pointed out. Sadie just looked to him.

"I ain't goin' to Painted Sky, not just yet." She told him. "First, I'm headin' to Blackwater."

"Blackwater?" He asked her. "What for?"

"I need to pick up some backup, someone I can trust." Sadie told him. "Ramon's a slippery bastard, and I ain't gonna lose another Cortez if I can help it."

She circled around to face him.

"Which…uh…means that when we get there, if I find him…"

"I'll wait in the saloon." He replied, nodding in understanding. He knew that she was talking about John. While they both knew that she was talking about John Marston, a man that everyone from law enforcement everywhere from Strawberry to Saint Denis right up to the fledgling Bureau of Investigation would love to find. She'd already made it clear he wasn't to appear in the book, and she'd also insisted that Levin not accompany her whenever she went to John. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was more she knew how eager some people still were to find John and she reasoned that Levin couldn't be made to tell anyone anything he didn't know. Sadie just nodded in response and pulled on the reins, turning her horse around and back onto the trail.

They got to Blackwater a little after midday. Sadie was just hitching up her horse outside the saloon, when she looked to Levin.

"Alright, we'll just go and get you checked in." She began. "Just pay for the three nights to begin with and extend if you need to. I ain't sure how long this is gonna take. Once we get Ramon, I'll need to get him to Rhodes and get rid of John before I have my little chat with him…"

"Mrs Adler, look!" Levin called out, pointing across the street. Sadie turned around, seeing John and Uncle walking out of the bank. She could hardly believe her luck! She was fully expecting to ride out to the farm to go looking for him, she had no idea that he would actually be in town.

"OK, that speeds things up a little." She said, looking to Levin. "You go and get a room. I'll be back when I can."

Levin left her to go and get a room, at which Sadie took her opportunity. She ran across the road, shouting out to him and waving. John smiled as he saw her coming.

"Is that Sadie Adler?" He asked rhetorically.

"How are you?" She asked, looking to get some small-talk out of the way. It wasn't like she was coming to say hi and go to lunch or anything. She was going to ask him to help her chase down another fugitive. She knew he was trying to convince Abigail that he could put the guns down for good and live as a rancher. Truthfully, she didn't know what he'd been doing since the last time she saw him.

"Oh, hello Uncle, nice to see you!" Uncle said sarcastically. Sadie just laughed a little.

"Oh, shut up, you old creep." She answered as she hugged him. It was a little bit of a surprise to see Uncle, he wasn't that young when she knew him. Then again, for a guy who didn't do a hell of a lot of work for the gang, he had a knack of always being able to get what he needed and scraping by. All in, it didn't really shock her too much that he was still around and had apparently found someone to mooch off again. It wouldn't surprise her if Uncle outlived all of them. She was pleased to see them both, but she still wasn't sure that she knew how to broach the subject of asking John to help her out again. John started to shift a little uneasily.

"Listen, Sadie, I…you got any work?" He asked her. Sadie was stunned. That was easy enough, he was asking her for work? He knew the kind of business she was involved in, and it was pretty much the opposite of what Abigail would want him to be doing. She looked to the bank and back to him. She had sent his share of their previous work to the bank; she was kind of listed as his employer to satisfy his bank manager he could make the repayments. She now saw the picture. New lives were expensive. Maybe not Tahiti expensive, but sure as hell expensive if you didn't have the money and needed to borrow from someone else to pay for it. She had to assume her last payment had been used up and he was looking for an extension or further credit, which meant he'd need to prove he could pay for it. She did feel badly about it, somehow it felt a little like using a friend, but if he needed money, then it was just helping out a friend, right? They were both getting something they needed? Well, that was what she was going to tell herself anyway. "I'm kind of desperate."

The last part made her stomach twist up into a knot. Why did he have to tell her that? Now it really did feel a lot like using him. She considered it for a moment, and then resolved that she could always make it up to him later. After all, if he got the farm up and running for him and Abigail and Jack, then at least someone would get something out of all this right?

"Work, hmm…" She said thoughtfully. She didn't want it to be too clear she was already coming to ask him for his help. At least if John thought it was all his idea, he might not feel like she was taking advantage. "How desperate?"

"I need money." He said flatly. "A bunch of money. My debt's climbing and I…"

"You up for a fight?" Sadie interrupted him. She couldn't listen to him talk about debts anymore. The more he said, the more she felt guilty for not being around to help out more.

"Is it legal?" John asked her. She whistled for her horse, which freed itself from the hitching post and trotted up towards them. John whistled for his own horse, getting the impression they were heading out pretty quickly.

"Oh, it's perfectly legal." She assured him. "And also, pretty dangerous. With you, it'll be fine, but I wouldn't do it on my own."

Although Ramon was said to have travelled alone, she couldn't rule out the possibility that he had brought some boys with him.

"I ain't got much choice." John said in response.

"Alright then, come on." She said as they mounted up.

"Look after him Sadie, he's a delicate flower underneath!" Uncle chuckled as they were riding away. Sadie just rolled her eyes and smiled. She couldn't believe how much she'd missed Uncle despite how much he pissed everyone off back in the day.

"Tell the bank, there's money comin' in." John called back to Uncle. "And get a crew to help with that barn!"

Sadie understood him wanting to hire someone to build a barn, the idea of anyone building a barn single-handed was pretty outlandish, but Uncle? There were times he made lying in his bed look like effort! If he left Uncle to do it, then he'd probably return to find a bundle of lumber and Uncle snoring under a tree with a bottle in his hand.

As they rode off, Sadie pulled up beside John. She felt like she needed to explain at least something about the job to him.

"I have it on good authority the bounty is up at Painted Sky." She informed him. John nodded.

"I know the place." He responded. For all of the owner's financial woes, the land was incredibly fertile. Charles and Hosea used to go up there all the time to get herbs for their various potions and elixirs when they were camped at Horseshoe. She figured it was possible that on occasion they'd send John too. She just shrugged.

"OK, I'll follow you." She answered as they rode out of town. "Alright, the Painted Sky tip is pretty fresh, but I'm not sure how long it'll stay that way. An…encyclopaedia salesman was up there, couldn't find the rancher. But he saw a Mexican lookin' feller hangin' around."

She didn't really like lying to a friend, but if she told John that the tip came from Bill Williamson, she wasn't sure he would want to follow through on the job. Hell, she still wasn't sure of the wisdom in taking Bill at his word on it either. The only reason she did was that Bill, for all his many, many faults, was never a liar. He was a moron, he was hot-headed, he was impatient and he was reckless, and yes, sometimes he was ignorant enough not to check the information he'd heard before he took it as read, but he was definitely always honest about what he had heard.

"Now, Ramon Cortez is around those parts, split up from his gang and stuck up in West Elizabeth." She informed him. This was the only part she had some kind of confirmation was true. He wasn't in Thieves' Landing, and he hadn't any interest in going down to Gaptooth Breach, so it seemed likely he was heading to one of their other main interests. With Bill taking over the gang in Thieves' Landing, that meant any Del Lobos still riding under that banner were cut off from communication to him at least for a little while. Thieves' Landing was kind of their hub point for their operations, so it would take a little time for everyone to realise they weren't hearing from each other. "It's gotta be him, holed up, waitin' on some out and we're gonna get to him first."

John was pretty quiet all through this time, thoughtful, contemplative. It was nice to ride with someone like that again. He wasn't going to ride in with only half the story if he could help it. John, like Arthur, always saw the value in a good plan. It wasn't like those plans didn't sometimes go awry, but he did always start out with a good plan and try to keep it as tight and as organised as possible. She couldn't help thinking back to the time she helped him break into the auction yard offices in Valentine. Her first job…she smiled, thinking back to that time. She wondered what that Sadie would think if she could see herself now.

They talked about the bounty a little more on the way. John did surprise her when he told her he'd been out to Tumbleweed. It turned out he had taken on a couple of bounties on his own to help pay his debts. Sadie was a little surprised, but she quickly ascertained Abigail had not yet come back to him, and so it was just a case of he needed money and it was one of the quickest ways to get it. It turned out he had even gone and brought in Estoban Cortez, breaking up the operation in Gaptooth Breach once and for all. She was glad to hear that was gone, so much so she didn't mind hearing that she'd never get a chance to take out Estoban herself. Still, knowing the Sheriff there, she didn't doubt he'd have met his end in a manner befitting all the suffering he'd caused.

"You want to hear somethin'?" John asked her. "I've built my ranch house."

Sadie could detect the pride in his tone as he said this. John, like the rest of the gang, had many 'homes' over the course of his life. Of course, there was a difference between a 'home' and a home. The tone was vaguely familiar, it reminded her of Jake when he told her of his gran plan for them to build the homestead. It had taken ages for them, especially with only the two of them, but by the time it was done, it was theirs, something she believed no one would ever be able to take away from them. Somewhere she'd have been only too happy to live out the rest of her days. John sounded exactly the same as Jake had when he declared it their new home and carried her over the threshold. The fact they'd already been married two years by that point did not curb his enthusiasm for the gesture one bit.

"Well, good for you!" She congratulated him. "Did you make it out of straw bales?"

"No! I got one of them new pre-cut ones from the lumberyard. Charles helped me put it up. And Uncle…he barked the occasional order…"

Sadie stopped listening for a little bit, struck by something John had said. He had told her that Charles was alive, that he'd found him in Saint Denis, but he was still there? He was still at the farm? Her mind wandered a little, thinking of the fact Charles was back at the farm. If she'd known, maybe they could have brought him along? She shook her head as John started shouting.

"Huh?" She asked.

"I said, you should come and see it. It's good country, despite all that." John told her. She thought about it for a bit. It would be nice to see what Arthur's sacrifice had gotten them, to see what John was making of his new life, but something…something in her just felt like she would be seeing too much of a spectre of a life she once had. She couldn't face it. She said the first thing that came into her head.

"I try not to fraternize too much with the employees. It sends the wrong message." She said, mimicking her idea of a stereotypically rich person's tone. Employees? She didn't have any employees, she worked alone except for the couple of jobs she took John along on. She smirked at him, at which he just laughed. He could guess that she was teasing him. The gang did it all the time back in the day.

"Oh, that's what I am now, an employee?" He chuckled.

"Mmm hmm. That's what the bank says." Sadie reminded him. She was listed as his employer on his marker.

"Then I guess our fraternizin' days are done." John responded.

"Now, be a good boy and go get that bounty!" Sadie told him as they headed up a track towards Painted Sky.

"Yes ma'am." He said, saluting her in response. She was smiling. She'd definitely missed this.

As they got to the farm though, the time for joking was over. They both rode in quietly, dismounting and heading up towards the farm. There were animals wandering around, even a dog, but one thing that was notably absent was people. Even when it wasn't harvesting season most farms had people wandering around most of the time, even just to check if the crops and the animals were getting all they needed. Sadie pulled out her revolver.

"You check the barn. I'll check the main house." Sadie told him. She headed towards the house, keeping low and scurrying along quietly. She didn't want to get this close only to get shot before she could get the drop on Cortez. If he killed her, or she killed him before she got a chance to get him talking, then that was another trail gone cold.

She got to the door, and put her back against the wall, before reaching out. She turned the handle, slowly, quietly, trying not to make too much noise. As the door started to open, she got ready, barging in, quickly swinging around, checking the corners of the room.

Looking around, she could see no sign of Cortez, but she could see a man, tied up in the middle of the room. He was gurgling, trying to say something against the gag in his mouth. His clothes were dirty, and she could tell from the smell he'd been there at least a couple of days.

She didn't go to him immediately. He wasn't going anywhere, so she could talk to him later. Instead, she swept the rest of the house looking for Cortez. Once she was sure he wasn't there, she went back to the man, pulling the gag out of his mouth. He started rambling in a language she didn't recognise. However, as she cut him free, she didn't need to speak his language to understand gratitude.

"I don't know what you're sayin'." She told him. "English, you speak English? I'm lookin' for Ramon Cortez!"

The look in the man's eyes was unmistakable. He knew the name.

"He the one that did this?" She asked him. The man just nodded. Before Sadie could say anything further, she heard some yells and crashing from the barn. She grabbed her revolver and ran out towards the barn. Shit! She'd sent John to the barn on his own! She could only hope that no one had gotten the drop on him. By the time she got there though, Ramon was sitting on the ground, a bunch of fresh bruises on his face and staring up at John, who was training a gun on him. John looked a little roughed up, but he was standing on his own two feet in complete control of the situation. Sadie breathed a sigh of relief. She needn't have worried.

"You got him?" She asked.

"I think so." John replied breathlessly. "He just tried to kill me." Sadie took a good look at the man's face, confirming that it was indeed Cortez. Bill had been right on the money about this one.

"That's about right." Sadie replied, smashing him in the face with her gun, knocking him out cold. "Yeah, that's him. Come on, let's get him to the Sheriff up in Rhodes."

"Rhodes?" John asked. "What about Valentine or Strawberry?"

"The Sheriff in Rhodes has a higher bounty on him." Sadie told him. She didn't like lying to John, the bounty was not much different, but she knew the Sheriff of Rhodes owed her some favours and once they had him in the jail there, he'd likely let her take the time to question him before taking him to Saint Denis to hang. She started tying up Ramon. "You want to pay off that loan, quicker don't you? Maybe even have a little somethin' left over for some furniture for that nice new house of yours?"

"OK." John sighed, picking up Ramon's unconscious body. "Rhodes it is."


	61. A Tough Job

It took the rest of the day to ride all the way to Rhodes. Sadie didn't want to keep John out longer than she needed to. He'd already been attacked by Ramon once, and she didn't really want to give him or his boys another chance.

The Sheriff of Rhodes owed her a favour…quite a few really. Even years after the Braithwaites and the Grays were gone, Rhodes had more than its fair share of problems, and she made a point of swinging by any time she was in the area. There were always bounties on offer.

On the way, Ramon had woken up, and he was a rather chatty customer to say the least. When people were on their way to the Sheriff's office, it wasn't unusual for them to try everything and anything to get the Bounty Hunter to let them go. Some would cry and beg, giving some sob story as to why it was all a mistake or that they had changed and deserved another chance. Others would try to threaten and intimidate their way out, going into painstaking details of all the horrible things they and their friends would do to her when they got loose. Some tried to buy their way out, promising vast sums of money, land, gold…hell, one guy tried to bribe her with a horse once. Ramon seemed to alternate between the latter two. He wasn't for begging, but he did make a lot of lofty promises and threats. Though she did wonder how long it would be before he told her he had a sick mother or a baby that didn't have a mother that needed him.

John looked very uneasy heading along the trail. It wasn't a surprise. Although it had been many years, and those involved were long since dead, the last time he was out here Catherine Braithwaite had her sons kidnap his son. Although that had been the beginning of a big change in John, the fear of losing a son that until then he had doubted was even his, had set him on the road to being the man before her now, he still had to have some very vivid memories of the battle at Braithwaite Manor.

As they rode into town, John finally spoke.

"This place still gives me the creeps." He commented. All things considered, that was pretty mild. He had all rights to say a whole lot worse given some of the memories he had to have of Rhodes.

"Hitch your horse up here." Sadie told him as they headed for the Sheriff's office. They pulled up outside, hitching up their horses. Sadie went in to meet up with the Sheriff while John grabbed Ramon off the back of her horse. She imagined he'd probably try to talk John into letting him go, but she didn't doubt for a moment John would turn on her now. She went inside.

"Sheriff, we've got Ramon Cortez." She declared as John came in behind her, carrying the struggling outlaw.

"Cortez? How?" He asked her.

"Found him hidin' in a pile of shit." She scoffed as she took a seat on his desk. She knew that although the bounty was in Rhodes, the Sheriff was being subcontracted by the chief of police in Saint Denis. They would need to transport him there, and she was sure he'd want to wait until morning. A friendly offer to keep an eye on Cortez overnight and she was sure he wouldn't mind him being a little bruised up the following day. People wore hoods when they were hung anyway, so it's not like he needed to be clean shaven and freshly bathed or anything.

"Sounds about right." He said, opening the cell and letting John put him inside. As John was cutting him free, Cortez decided to try bargaining again.

"How much you want? How much any of you want?" He asked them. "I'll give you two thousand dollars in gold to whichever one of you sets me free!"

Sadie laughed a little. It was undoubtedly a tempting offer. His bounty was only a couple of hundred. Two thousand dollars would more than pay off everything John owed and still have plenty left over. Any one of them could easily retire on that kind of money. She couldn't help but remember hearing how Angelo Bronte offered all of Dutch's boys a thousand to kill Dutch. Not a single one of them was even tempted. John didn't look like he even considered it, and the Sheriff, even if he believed Ramon actually had the gold, was such a straight arrow he likely would rather be in the poor house the rest of his days than take one dishonest cent.

"It's too late for that I'm afraid Ramon." The Sheriff told him. "You've been a real bad boy. Me and my boys are gonna take you into Saint Denis and watch them hang you."

"If you think so mister!" Ramon warned him.

"Oh, I know so." The Sheriff replied as he threw the key onto the desk, before looking to Sadie and John. "Take a seat. Help me watch him until my boys get here."

"Fine." Sadie said as he started pouring them all a drink. She wanted to watch Ramon anyway, but she wanted the others to leave first. She still didn't know if Ramon knew anything at all, and so she didn't want to risk getting his hopes up that they had found Micah, while the Sheriff…even he had his limits of what he could allow to happen in front if him. If he came back and Ramon was a little beat up, that could just be a case of Sadie stopping him in the attempt to escape, but if he saw her go into the cell and start beating on him, that was something he couldn't really just ignore. She accepted the drink, hoping that the Sheriff would go home soon.

"I spent years cleaning up this town." He said proudly as he handed them each a glass of whiskey. "The last thing I need is fools like this thinking they can take us back to the bad old days."

"Well, you did a good job." Sadie complimented him as they all drank. "Tell you what, how about you go home? I can keep Ramon here company."

"A night in my bed sounds a lot better than a night in the office." The Sheriff said as he gulped down his drink. "I'll return in the morning Mrs Adler. Until then, make sure our guest here feels real comfortable."

As he left, Sadie waited until he was out the door before looking to John, who was quietly sipping his whiskey. She smiled.

"You know, you don't need to wait around. I can send on your share to the bank." She told him. "If you head out now, you can be most of the way back before it gets dark."

"If I head out tomorrow, I can get all the way there in daylight." He reminded her with a shrug. "Besides, it might do Uncle some good to see what workers actually look like when they're workin'. Might do him good."

"Oh, I'm sure he knows what it looks like." Sadie chuckled. "He just never was one that was much for work. No, you go on. I'm sure you'd rather be out there in that nice new house of yours than in this dump."

She wanted John to go, to not be involved, but as he reached for the bottle, he smiled.

"Truth be told, I've been spendin' a little too much time around Uncle and Charles." He answered her. "Personally, I think I'd rather catch up with an old friend."

"Alright then." She said as she handed him her glass. "So, how about you tell me more about how you three knuckleheads built a house?"

The night wore on, and any hopes of John going home were starting to fade. Although she knew her opportunity to question Cortez was slipping away, she figured she could always ask to ride along with them and try her luck on the way to Saint Denis.

Although she did want to beat Cortez into telling her everything he knew about Micah, she did have to admit it was fun catching up with John. He was telling her all about building the house, their plans to start raising some sheep, all the things they had done, even his own adventures bounty hunting to help finance it all.

"I've written to Abigail." John told her. "I told her all about the farm. All the stuff that she wanted…I keep hopin' that one day she'll come back."

"She hasn't yet?" Sadie asked him. John shook his head sadly.

"Not so far." He replied. "You know, back in the old days I used to think what we was doin' was tough. I used to look at all those folks buyin' houses, growing crops, workin' rails and thought they was all just doin' things the easy way. Boy, did I ever get that wrong."

He smiled as he looked to her.

"But now that I'm doin' it myself, now that I'm tryin' to build that life, I couldn't imagine doin' anything else." He told her.

"You do sound happy." Sadie replied. "I'm real happy for you."

Sadie was slightly startled when the Sheriff came back in. She had to check her watch. She could hardly believe it; they had been talking all night! It was now morning.

"I see you helped yourself to my whiskey." He said as he pointed to the half-empty bottle. Sadie just shrugged.

"I was catchin' up with an old friend. I'll replace it." She assured him. "The general store owner owes me some favours."

The Sheriff turned on the stove to make some coffee.

"My boys should be here soon enough." He assured her. "Coffee?"

"Yeah, that would be appreciated." John answered, no doubt thinking about his long ride back to Beacher's Hope. They were all roused by a cry from outside.

"Oh, Sheriff Thomas, Sheriff Thomas!" Someone called out in a strong accent. "We want our friend back! You have about ten seconds before we kill all of you fools."

"Don't be a dumb bastard!" Sheriff Thomas called back as he picked up a shotgun. "This is a good town now!"

Without saying anything, Sadie stood to the side of the door, while John got ready to kick it open. They had been on the opposite side of this situation before. They knew that Ramon's boys weren't going to come all the way out to Rhodes just to turn around with a simple threat. John booted the door open and swung out to the other side of the door for cover as the first shots rang out.

"My boys are comin'!" Sheriff Thomas barked. "I'll hold the jail house!"

Sadie and John weren't taking orders from him though, they were already outside, running the raiding party out of town. There were quite a few, but given the fact that in the last week they'd already lost Thieves' Landing and apparently John had already killed Estoban, the Del Lobos really didn't have a whole lot to lose. Soon the air was thick with cordite, and they started to turn tail and run.

"I guess we're keepin' him!" She yelled as they ran away. However, they felt the ground shake, and an incredible noise came from the direction of the jail house. "What was that?"

As she and John ran back, she regretted asking. She should have seen it coming, it was a play right out of their own play book! The gunfight in the streets was only a distraction. As they got back to the jail house, the dust was just settling, and Sheriff Thomas was on the floor. The cell had a huge hole in it, where dynamite had been used to blow the wall wide open.

"My jail, my jail!" Sheriff Thomas yelled, his ears still ringing after the explosion. "He's gone, he's gone!"

The wheels in Sadie's head started turning. This could be a good thing. With him escaping, it gave her another chance to get Ramon on his own and talk to him directly.

"Well, we brought him in." Sadie reminded the Sheriff. "Now, pay us what's owed!"

"He ain't here now, madam!" Sheriff Thomas pointed out. Even though Sadie was happy to go and get him again, and she had a good working relationship with Sheriff Thomas, she'd been in this position before, and it was always a position that rubbed her the wrong way. As successful as she was, some people saw a woman and not a bounty hunter and assumed they could railroad her in negotiations. It wasn't her fault Sheriff Thomas couldn't keep hold of the prisoner, she had brought him in fair and square. Any guy would have probably been paid and would without question be entitled to the bounty all over again if they brought him in a second time. Sadie wasn't going to take anyone trying to short her on what they owed, even if it was Sheriff Thomas. "I don't get paid until he makes it to Saint Denis."

"You want to get shot today as well as robbed?" Sadie said rather too quickly. John grabbed her shoulder, but she brushed him off.

"Are you threatenin' me?" Sheriff Thomas asked her.

"Why would we bother threatenin' you?" John sneered in reply. Sadie could tell he wasn't impressed by the Sheriff. All things considered; she couldn't blame him. All he probably wanted was to be paid what he was owed and go home.

"Get him back and I'll get your money. And another fifty dollars besides!" Sheriff Thomas told them. That wasn't going to cut it with Sadie, not by a long shot. She'd already brought him in once, by all rights she should get double if she was bringing him in a second time. Still, looking around, she could see he was probably telling the truth about the money. She could see when she was trying to get blood from a stone. She would get paid, Sheriff Thomas did always pay, she'd just have to wait. That didn't mean to say she was going to let him off lightly.

"A hundred dollars!" She stated. That was still less than double, but she was happy enough to write that off as a rate for a friend. She just wasn't going to get completely short changed because he was a friend.

"Seventy-five. I can't go higher."

"Done." Sadie said, shaking his hand. "Let's go, Jim Milton."

They rode out, trying to pick up his trail. It took them a while, but they were quite fortunate that Ramon had been very talkative on his way to Rhodes. He'd told them that some friends were meant to pick him up in Dewberry Creek to take him home. It was an old lead, but it was somewhere to start. Ramon was clearly not trying too hard to hide, because when they got there, he was already there with a large number of his boys, likely waiting for a boat. They waited until it was dark before finding a good vantage point of the creek up on an old water mill. Sadie took a sniper's rifle from her saddle bag and climbed up to join John as he watched them. They'd set up fires and looked like they were preparing a meal.

"It looks like they're camping down there." Sadie pointed out.

"What are they hangin' around for?" John asked her.

"I don't know, probably a boat." She said, looking up to the skies, feeling the air and even sniffing it like Charles had taught her. "There's a storm comin' in. That's probably delayed them."

"So, what do we do now?" John asked her.

"I'm gonna go get him." Sadie answered.

"You?" He asked. She handed him the sniper's rifle.

"Me." She confirmed. "You just cover me. I ain't gettin' you killed out there!"

"But it's OK for you?" He asked her incredulously. Sadie was getting infuriated now by the questioning.

"Look, I wanna die!" She blurted out. John just stared at her, his face becoming pale as he did. "Besides, those bastards don't look that tough. They look asleep as far as I can tell! I'm gonna go!"

"Are you sure about this?" John asked as she headed to the ladder. "This don't seem right!"

"This is MY show John Marston!" She snapped. "Just do as you're God damn told! And shoot well!"

Sadie headed down the ladder and into the creek, keeping to cover until she got close. As soon as she fired her first shot, alerting all of the Del Lobos, John's first shot took one down near her. She let out a savage cry as she rushed in, firing all around her as Del Lobos started to come from all sides. Lanterns exploded, spraying paraffin over many of them, as John kept her covered. By the time she was coming to the bridge, the point where John would no longer be able to see her to cover her, he leapt down and joined her in the creek, switching to his revolvers.

"You OK?" He asked as she rested by one of the bridge supports to reload.

"They're still alive." She told him.

"Well, let's see what we can do about that!" John said as he ran in to support her, taking down Del Lobos while she reloaded her weapon. The fight was fierce, but the two of them tore down the creek like a force of nature, killing anyone in their path. By the time they got to the shore, there were only a couple of them left. They could see a boat leaving, rowing out into the river.

"There he is, on that boat!" Sadie screamed. "We need him back alive!"

While Sadie cleared out the rest of the Del Lobos on the beach, John took some pot-shots at the boat. Sadie could see Cortez had been convinced to turn around and come back. He could tell that while Sadie wanted him alive, John would sooner see him dead than to see him get away. As he arrived back on the shore, Sadie kept her gun trained on him.

"Get out of there!" She yelled as she tossed him face-first into the beach.

"Take it easy…"

"Oh, you gave up easy a long time ago!" Sadie warned him as John tied him up. "Go put him on your horse. Time, we got him back to town."

John didn't say anything, instead just kind of glaring at Sadie as he went and threw him on the back of his horse.

The ride back to town was as quiet as could be expected with Ramon. He went right back to alternating between promising to kill them, and pay them more money than they had ever seen if they let him go. All the while though, John didn't say a word. When they got back to town, Sheriff Thomas and his deputies were waiting with a wagon.

"I knew you'd be back Ramon. You can't get enough of me." Sheriff Thomas greeted him. "Put him in the wagon for me."

John all but threw Ramon into the wagon like a piece of meat.

"Me and the boys will ride him to Saint Denis right away this time." He assured her.

"Sheriff, before you go…"

"I'll pay you when I deliver him." He interrupted Sadie, pre-empting her question. She wasn't going to ask about the money, she knew he would pay her in the end, she was going to ask to ride along with Cortez. Still, she figured she had to play along until she could send John home.

"Plus, seventy-five dollars." She stated.

"Exactly." He responded, before heading for the wagon.

"John, you can go." She told him. "Sheriff Thomas…"

But before she could do anything, she felt a strong grip on her arm. She looked to see John was holding onto her. She tugged at her arm, but he wouldn't let go.

"John, what are you…?"

"We need to talk!" John snapped at her, dragging her away. She looked over her shoulder to see Sheriff Thomas rolling out of town on the wagon.

"John, what the hell's the matter with you?" She asked as he dragged her away. He dragged her down to the General Store, shoving her inside. "John, JOHN!"

"John Marston! How long has it been?" Pearson asked.

"Give us the room Pearson." John told him. "Go for a lunch break or somethin'."

"I've just got back from…"

"Well, go for another one damn it!" John yelled at him. Pearson stammered a little, but he could see John wasn't in a good mood, and ended up leaving. John slammed the door shut behind him, locking it and flipping the sign to closed. Sadie was livid. Ramon Cortez was on his way to Saint Denis to hang.

"John, what the hell…"

"Did you mean what you said?" John cut her off angrily. Sadie just looked to him.

"What?" She asked him.

"What you said on the water wheel, did you mean it?" He roared. Sadie just looked a little taken aback. She couldn't think what he was talking about. All she could think about was the fact that Ramon Cortez was slipping away by the minute.

"I…I don't…"

"You said you wanted to die!" John clarified. "DID YOU MEAN IT?"

Hearing what John said stunned her a little. It was certainly a thought she'd had. She didn't know what to say to John, there wasn't much she could say. Her silence just seemed to anger him further.

"Damn it Sadie, that is not the kind of shit you can just say to a friend and expect them to be OK with!" John yelled at her, pacing impatiently. He ran a hand through his hair and his beard as he tried to compose his thoughts.

"It's…It's my life…"

"Yeah, it's your life, and you can do what you damn well want with it!" John told her. "But when you tell a friend that you wanna die? Don't be too surprised if they don't feel especially great about hearin' that! You think I want to think about you goin' out now doin' God knows what after hearin' that?"

"What the Hell business is it of yours?" She hissed at him angrily, heading for the door, only for him to shove her back. "Get out of my way Marston!"

"Why? So, you can find some other jackass to take shots at you?" He demanded. "If you go and do somethin' dumb and get your head blown off, how do you think I'd feel? Or Uncle or Jack?"

"I don't care." She whispered.

"What did you just say?" He demanded.

"I said I don't care!" She screamed at him. John just shook his head in disbelief.

"That is the most SELFISH God damn thing I've ever heard!" John barked as he looked at her, a disappointed look on his face. He headed over towards the door, unlocking it and turning the sign back. He paused and let out a deep breath, before looking back to her one last time.

"There are people that care about you Sadie." He said dejectedly. "More'n you'll ever know."

With that, he headed outside, mounting up and riding out. Sadie went to the counter, leaning back against it, before sliding down to sit on the floor, her head rattling back against it.


	62. Winding Paths

"Sadie?" Sadie heard, wrenching her from her thoughts. She turned to look up, seeing Pearson standing over her. "Sadie, you OK?"

"Uh…yeah." She said, trying to gather her thoughts. She'd been sitting, John's tirade still swirling in her mind. She'd been yelled at plenty in her life, threatened, berated…hell, in her line of work a day without someone directly threatening her life was a day she hadn't done anything productive, but there was something about John's words, something about the way he yelled at her that instead of making her launch into her usual defensive nature had struck home with her. It almost felt like…for a moment she had to remind herself that it wasn't possible. For a moment…it almost felt like it was Arthur yelling at her. Pearson offered her a hand, which she wasn't too proud to take, helping her off the floor.

"I didn't want to intrude, but it's been a while and some of my customers are bound to be coming by shortly." He told her. Sadie just nodded.

"Yeah, sorry I didn't want…" She tailed off as something occurred to her. "How long has it been…?"

"I saw John riding out of town a couple of hours ago…"

"A COUPLE OF HOURS!" She shrieked as she checked her watch. Shit! She had been sitting with her head up her own ass, lost in thoughts of what John had said to her for hours. She quickly rushed past Pearson, leaping onto her horse and spurring it on, riding out of town, hoping she wasn't too late.

She couldn't believe she'd managed to lose Cortez like that. She was hoping to ride with him, to get some time before he got to Saint Denis to talk to him, to "convince" him to tell her what he knew about Micah. She was furious that she had managed to get side-tracked. She was angry with John for pulling her away, but as his words came to her, echoing in her head again and again, all she could think was that this was her doing. If she hadn't said what she had, if she hadn't told him what she did, he'd never have intervened. He'd just have gone home and left her alone. She wanted to blame John, but she knew that if he had said the same thing, if he told her that he wanted to throw his life away after everything Arthur had done to ensure he had that life…she'd beat him so badly he couldn't even think about doing anything to put his life in danger even if he wanted to.

She was a little surprised herself that she had been so direct. She'd known for a long time that she didn't care about her own life. She'd come to terms with the fact that once Micah was gone, she really didn't care if she lived. But those words coming out of her mouth… "I wanna die." That was…she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She couldn't think about this now. She'd already lost too much ground on the sheriff.

It was dark in Saint Denis by the time she got to the city. The city never really got dark, such was the lighting of the lamps and the many lights in the surrounding buildings meant that unless you looked straight up and saw the inky skies you'd never know if it was night or day. She thundered into the North end of town, but before she could turn down towards the police station, she could see crowds around the plaza. A lot of cops too. She knew this kind of sight all too well. Heading for the plaza, she rode her horse straight in, despite the cop shouting angrily at her for doing so, and just stared. There, swinging from the gallows, was a fresh body.

"No, no, no, no!" She repeated as she leapt off her horse and ran up the stairs to the gallows. She pulled out her knife, cutting open the sack over his head, and pulled it back. She backed away, throwing her knife down into the decking, where it stuck handle-up. "Son of a BITCH!"

"Ma'am, you best be gettin' offa there!" A cop called out to her. She just turned to see she had something of an audience. A whole bunch of people who were no doubt there to get their last glimpse of Cortez, just to make sure he was dead, and about a dozen cops. "That prisoner has been executed under the law of the State of Lemoyne."

"I can see that, I'm the one who brought him in you idiot!" She snapped at him. She saw the man's hand straying towards his holster. A couple of the others were less subtle, having their weapons already in their hands. Sadie just sighed. She was too late, there was nothing she was going to learn from Cortez now. She bent down, picking up her knife and putting it away, before pulling the hood back over his head. She walked to the edge of the gallows, jumping off and walking out of the plaza, her horse following her. She had messed up. She had messed up badly. Her best lead, and here he was, swinging so that the people of Saint Denis could give him their most heartfelt wishes that he burned in Hell before the undertaker got him in the morning.

Travelling through the swamps was never considered a good idea after dark. Travelling…pretty much anywhere in Lemoyne after dark was rarely seen as a good idea, but Sadie didn't really care too much. She wasn't really thinking too much about the Lemoyne Raiders who sometimes ambushed unwary travellers. She wasn't thinking about much of anything as she rode along the lonely roads, intending to make as much progress back towards Blackwater as she could. She didn't need to be around people, she needed time to think, to figure out what she could do now.

It was in the mists of the damp, dewy air of the hours just between darkest night and early morning that she came across a sign at a junction in the paths. Rhodes was up ahead, Saint Denis back the way she came, but one sign, an old, worn, rotting piece of barely legible wood stood out. Pleasance.

Pleasance, it was a ghost town. Long abandoned after being hit by plague. She couldn't think why she hadn't thought of it before. It was only a short time before that she had been through here, brought here by some ledgers she found in the possession of one of her bounties. A bill of sale to 'Tacitus Kilgore' for the land.

She veered off towards the old ghost town, arriving just as the earliest beams of sunlight were only just starting to come through the nearby tree lines. She pulled out her revolver as she dismounted.

"Dutch!" She called out, looking around. Dutch, the son of a bitch had been the one to set her on this search. Just like with the O'Driscolls, he was setting her to the task of chasing others down rather than do it himself. She knew he was using her, but if it got her to Micah she just didn't care. All she knew was that if Dutch was anything like the Dutch she had known, he always knew a hell of a lot more than he ever told anyone else. "Dutch, come on out here you son of a bitch!"

She didn't get an answer. She already knew the risks. Dutch might not have been a young man anymore, but he was still deadly, and Pleasance was his territory. Any time Dutch and the others set up a camp back in the day, he always made sure he knew all the routes in and out, all the hidey holes, every secret nook and cranny. If the bill of sale was anything to go by, he'd had more than enough time to be able to figure out enough ambush points to be able to take on a posse single-handed. Even at his age he was still one of the best guns in the country and quicker than anyone would give him credit for.

She made her way slowly through the settlement, having a look around the buildings.

"Dutch, I just wanna talk." She insisted. "Dutch! Don't make me come lookin' for ya!"

She still didn't get an answer. She methodically made her way around all the buildings, checking for any signs of Dutch. When she finally narrowed it down to the old church, the place she'd found him before, she made sure she was ready. She took a deep breath, before kicking open the door.

BOOM!

As soon as the door flew open, there was a roar and a searing pain shout through her chest. She tumbled backwards out of the church and landed painfully on the ground, her gun falling from her hand. It took some time for her to get her bearings. She half expected Dutch to take advantage, he had more than long enough to decide where to put the hole in her head, but when she got up, she saw no sign of him.

Retrieving her revolver, she headed inside. She found the culprit, a sawn-off shotgun, set up as a spring-gun trap. It had been rigged up to go off as soon as the door opened. At that range, she should have been a fine red mist. She could hardly believe she'd fallen for such an old trap. Her survival was no miracle. Checking herself as soon as she found a lantern to light up, she could see only some small dots of blood on her shirt. Most of her clothing hadn't even been penetrated.

"Rock salt." She muttered. Son of a bitch. He'd had no intention of killing her, the trap was only there to get her attention. If he'd loaded the shotgun with any kind of real ammunition, she'd have been dead before she hit the ground. She tore the shotgun from its mounting and threw it away in a fit of temper.

She did notice something else though, a little way off, there was some clothing. That wasn't unusual in itself, there was a lot of discarded belongings around here, but this looked clean, pressed. She inspected it and realised it was a Saint Denis police uniform. Her mind drifted back to the day that Colm O'Driscoll had been hung. Arthur and Dutch had disguised themselves as police. She checked the pockets and sure enough, there was an envelope addressed to her.

"Well, Mrs Adler, I have to say I'm surprised you made such a fine mess of this." The letter said. Condescending asshole, even after all these years he still spoke down to her. "I practically handed Cortez to you and yet, I out he's on his way to Saint Denis to hang. You don't need to worry, I made sure he had company on his last night before joining his maker."

Sadie could only imagine Dutch sitting in the police station, guarding the prisoner while arrangements were made for his hanging and the payment for his capture given to the Sheriff of Rhodes. While they were congratulating themselves on a job well done, they likely didn't know that a man with a bounty worth thousands of dollars was right under their noses, talking to their prisoner.

"Now, impending death does something to a man. Ramon was more than happy to confess before his untimely demise." Dutch's letter continued. "I will be helping myself to some of his old…shall we say…worldly possessions. You on the other hand, you can rest assured that I have no intention of seeing your journey end here."

She checked the other piece of paper in the envelope. It was a wanted poster for a bounty posted in Rhodes. This one was an accountant from the First Bank of Rhodes. Marshall Thurwell.

"Fraud, Theft and avoiding arrest?" Sadie read aloud. "Damn, at least we was honest when we was robbin' folks. Them bankers are the real crooks."

She looked at the picture, the image and most importantly the name. Marshall Thurwell…she had a feeling she'd heard it before. She still had the ledgers from before, Nathan Kirk's paperwork. She had left it with Levin in Blackwater. He'd had dealings in a few places, it stood to reason that he had to find people who were as crooked as he was in other banks if his schemes were to work. She needed to get back there to check out the ledger and see if he was involved. Dutch wouldn't have given her the poster unless he was somehow involved, and it seemed that Micah was using bankers to make the money he brought in more difficult to track down. A guy turning up in town shortly after a train got held up with money falling out his pockets every few steps brought in some attention, but if he went to the local bank with a valid cashier's check…that was a different thing entirely. Then he was just a travelling salesman.

With that, she put the letter and the poster inside her jacket, and took the uniform outside, putting the lantern to it and burning it, before heading for Rhodes. The morning train would spare her horse and get her back quicker.

By the time she got back to Blackwater, Levin had been waiting patiently for her in the saloon for a couple of days. He was happy enough to see her back, and at his insistence, she sat and relayed the previous couple of days' events.

Levin's pen scribbled furiously as Sadie told him everything, not leaving out a single detail. She already trusted him to make his own suitable edits when the time came, but if she was going to figure out what to do now, she needed someone who knew the system more than she did. She was quickly realising how old-fashioned she was becoming. Her work was cash-in-hand. The only dealings she ever had with banks was when she deposited John's share of her bounties. The rest of the time, people sent her payments to the local post office or she worked cash-in-hand. Banks were something she'd never been especially fond of, and thanks to her encounters with Kirk and now apparently Thurwell, she was finding she had less and less patience for.

The table was completely covered in papers by the time Levin started looking through the ledgers and his own notes. Even some newspapers he'd bought to keep himself busy while he was waiting to see Sadie come back. Sadie was sipping some coffee while he looked through.

"Yes, yes I do see a number of transfers here between Kirk and Thurwell." He confirmed. "It seems like the two of them had quite a productive exchange between Valentine and Rhodes."

"Slimy little bastards." Sadie sneered as she watched him. It turned out to be a good idea to let Levin take the lead on that one. While he wasn't a banker, he did seem to be a lot more familiar with how banks worked than she was. She imagined his publisher probably paid him mostly through the banks. "Robbin' people blind and they didn't even know it. At least when you stick a gun in their face, they know you're robbin' 'em."

"For once Mrs Adler, I have to agree. Some of the figures here are breath-taking." He commented. "Wait, Thurwell…I think I heard something…yes…here it is, the local newspaper."

"The local rag?" Sadie asked as he handed it to her, showing her an article. It was small, buried in the middle pages.

"Yes, it seems he's been trying to flee the country. Probably will too if left long enough. Probably just waiting until there are less people looking for him at the ports." Levin commented. "Someone answering his description was last seen…not far from here."

"If that's the case, then maybe Dunbar's heard somethin'." She suggested. "You…you keep lookin', see if you can see anythin'. I'll be back in a little while."

She left the saloon, heading for the Sheriff's office. When she got there, Dunbar was sitting at his desk, the remnants of his lunch on the desk.

"Looks like someone's havin' a busy day." She greeted him. Dunbar just smiled.

"Mrs Adler, always a pleasure." He stated as he sat up in his chair.

"So, I see your holding cells are empty again." She commented. He looked to the empty cell and nodded.

"Yeah, Marshalls came to take him to Sisika. Right now, he's probably breakin' rocks." He responded. "Drink?"

"Nah, I should be fine." Sadie told him. "So, I heard about this bounty when I was up in Rhodes. Accountant, goes by the name of Thurwell."

"Marshall Thurwell! Oh yes, I've heard of him." Dunbar told her. "Sheriff Thomas has been on the wire a few times about that one. Lot of folks are real unhappy with him up that way. Lot of folks are unhappy with him here too. A while back he came to town looking for one of his colleagues, ended up getting run right out of town."

"Run out of town? Damn." She commented.

"Only reason the posse didn't follow him is cause he went on up into Tall Trees." Dunbar told her. "No one's seen him since then but…well…you know…no one around here wants to go up there."

"Thurwell ran into Tall Trees? Shit!" She exclaimed. "Talk about out of the fryin' pan, he never thought why the posse didn't follow him? He'll be lucky if the skinner brothers ain't taken his scalp for the fun of it. Thanks!"

She left the Sheriff's office, heading back to the saloon. By the time she got there, Levin had set himself up a nice, comfortable looking nest. There were books and papers all around him, and there was a bottle of whiskey sitting on the middle of the table. Sadie cocked an eyebrow.

"You didn't waste any time." She remarked.

"Mrs Adler, I think I might know where he's gone." Levin told her. "There's not much out in this area, but I saw that one of the holdings that was on his marker was in Tall Trees, a place out near Manzanita Post."

"He's had it a while." She said, looking at the dates on the paperwork. "But with the Skinner Brothers up there, I ain't surprised he's not sold it. But he must be pretty desperate if he's hidin' out up there."

"So, you think he's up there?" Levin asked her.

"There's one way to find out." She sighed. "But…I can't go out there alone. I just hope my…friend…is still talkin' to me."

She picked up his glass, downed some of his whiskey, and headed out of the saloon, mounting up her horse and riding once more out of town, hoping that this time she wasn't going to be a little too late.


	63. Home on the Range

Beacher's Hope…what could anyone say about Beacher's Hope? The 'hope' part of the name was rather questionable to say the least. It was pretty enough land, but it was hardly what anyone could call valuable. There were no mineral deposits, no signs of oil, and most of it was barely-fertile desert. Little more than grass, some berries and the odd tree was able to grow, the rest being comprised mainly of sand and rock. Only a few water sources stopped it being an outright desert. It was kind of fitting that only John Marston saw this land and thought it would be a fitting place to start a farm.

It did make her think back to her own homestead. When she and Jake were looking to set up a home, they had briefly considered the idea of setting up in Beacher's, but the minute Jake heard the word "cougars" that put an end to that discussion. She did remind him that there were bears up in the mountains, but Jake always reasoned that since the average bear weighed 800 pounds he could see and hear it coming long before it became a problem. Given the fact Sadie now had some pretty serious cougar scars running the length of her back…yeah, she conceded he probably had a point on that one. It was fine and well to comment on building a farm in a borderline desert but since they had built theirs up in the mountains where they were cut off from the rest of the world for almost half of the year at a time, she guessed she wasn't really in a position to throw stones.

John had told her all about the house, and she had started to form ideas what she expected to see, but nothing could prepare her for it when she finally did. Holy crap he had been busy! She had imagined a slightly lop-sided wooden hut, with more gaps and draughts than the average fishing net that was one stiff wind or even a raised voice away from falling down, but it was incredible to see. He had already told her about pre-cut houses, but she had never really thought of John as much of a craftsman. The house actually looked like…well…a house! It was wooden, sturdy, glass windows, slates on the roof, even a brick chimney! There was fencing all the way around the property, and a barn had been erected, the latest addition John had told her about. He'd yet to buy in any livestock, but she could definitely see it all starting to take shape. If he kept building up like this, maybe he wouldn't starve after all.

She approached the main gate, and saw someone working out in the yard. He was chopping up wood, setting it all up in a pile by the side of the house. His long hair spilled around him, and he had numerous trinkets and decorations on his outfit. Far more than she could remember from before. She remembered John telling her that Charles had come back, but so far, she'd not seen him. The last time she had seen him was the night of the attack on Cornwall's oil refinery. She slipped off her horse, coming towards him as he carried on his work.

"Charles Smith." She said with a bright smile as she saw him. He looked up at her as he stopped what he was doing. "My God, I heard you was back. It's been a long time."

"It has." Charles answered. Sadie was slightly disappointed by his response. She didn't know how she expected him to react to seeing her again, it had been many years since they had seen each other, and yet when he saw her again…he brought the axe down again. He wasn't even going to stop working? He saw her staring at him. "You look well Mrs Adler."

"I've been good." She said responded. "Keepin' busy."

"Haven't we all?" He asked in response, tossing some logs aside. Sadie came a little closer to him.

"I heard…I heard you came back. I heard what you did for Arthur." She told him, barely more than a whisper.

"He was a good man." Charles told her. "There wasn't much anyone could do for him, but I'm glad I could make sure he got the peace he deserved in the end."

"Aunt Sadie?" She heard a young voice calling out. She turned to see a young man, probably somewhere around 13 years old approaching her. It took her a while to figure it out, he looked so different…then again, the last time she'd seen Jack he had literally been only a boy, only around five years old.

"Jack?" She asked him. The young man ran over, grabbing her and hugging her. She was a little taken aback, but after a moment she reached around, hugging him in return. The last time she'd spoken to John he told her that Jack and Abigail weren't with him on the farm. He'd written to them but he hadn't heard anything back from them. As he released her, she looked around, but Charles had already gone. She turned back to Jack. "Look at you! I swear, last time I saw you, you were barely up past my knee! I…I didn't know you were back…"

"Me and mom just got back!" He replied excitedly.

"Your mom?" Sadie asked. She was happy for John that his family had returned. It was what he wanted more than anything in the world. It was the reason he had come out to Beacher's and done all of this. She was about to reconsider whether or not she even wanted to bother him again. Now he had his family back, would he even want to think about the fact the last time they spoke they had fought over the fact she had told him that she wanted to die? She'd mostly come to ask him to help her because she wanted to make things right between them again. Thurwell was the kind of stuffed-shirt job she could do in her sleep, but now she was here, she wasn't sure she should really involve him again.

She didn't get the choice though, before she could say anything else, she was almost deafened.

"MA! PA! COME OUT HERE!" Jack called out. Sadie just looked to him in amazement.

"Good lord you've grown a set of lungs on you!" She commented as she tried to focus. John and Abigail came running out of the house, looking a little worried. She wasn't too surprised; the way Jack was yelling anyone would think Agent Ross had just shown up on their doorstep with half the US Army! When they saw her, Abigail's face lit up. She ran towards her.

"Sadie! You're alive!" She called out, running towards her to greet her old friend. As Abigail wrapped her arms around her, and she embraced her in return, she couldn't even be upset that it seemed John hadn't gotten around to telling Abigail they'd met up again. "John, it's…"

"Sadie Adler!" John interrupted her with a smile. Sadie was glad to see that he was glad to see her. Given how they had parted in Rhodes, she wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't want to speak to her, but having his family back seemed to have lifted his mood so much he seemed not to be too upset to see her. Abigail looked to him.

"Well, how'd you know she was…?"

"We've…I've…I saw her, I thought…"

Sadie felt a little badly that she had put John in an awkward position, but Abigail just seemed to brush it off. She was so pleased to see Sadie that she didn't seem to care too much about John's inability to tell her what they had been doing. Sadie hadn't seen Abigail since just before they headed off to the Yukon. Abigail was overjoyed to see her friend again. It felt good to Sadie to see her again as well. Abigail had been there for her at the worst time of her life.

"You look well. I am so happy! I am so happy!" She kept saying over and over again. "Well, come on! Let me show you the house!"

Sadie spent the next couple of hours catching up with them. They didn't have much, the house was basically the building and not much else. It seemed that John hadn't quite gotten around to getting some of the creature comforts, like furniture! Still, to hear Abigail talk about it as she proudly showed off each of the rooms, telling Sadie all about their plans for what they wanted to do, anyone would be forgiven for thinking they were building a palace. It did make Sadie's mind drift back to a much happier time, a time when she was in the same situation with Jake. When they first moved in, they didn't have time to get any furniture in before the first big freeze, meaning their first winter together was spent with little more than blankets and whatever linen they could put on the floor to keep them off the floorboards.

When it came to dinner time, they sat out on the porch, in the absence of a dining table or anything else. As per usual, Uncle showed up when the work was done and it was time to eat, like he appeared out of the ether, but Charles…for some reason he didn't join them. Sadie was a little disappointed he hadn't come back.

As they ate, they caught up on what they had been up to. Abigail told her all about their ill-fated venture to the Yukon to try and strike it rich. It wouldn't be the first time John had sought gold, but it was certainly the first time they had sought to do so legally. Abigail was learning to read, Jack teaching her where he could, and Uncle…Uncle had not changed in the slightest. They even had a new dog, a hound named Rufus that apparently just took to Jack somewhere along the trail. He was sitting by Sadie's feet, occasionally lifting his head to look for a scratch behind the ears as they talked. There was some laughter as they talked, and for a time, it felt good. Sadie could see that this place was just what they needed, a place that was theirs, that they could be happy. Not even Abigail's terrible cooking could ruin the mood.

"But tell me about you, darlin'." Abigail said after finishing one of her many tales. "All armed to the teeth like that."

This made her feel a little more awkward. If John hadn't told Abigail that he had met up with her, then it seemed likely that he hadn't told her about the bounty hunting. Abigail had never been terribly fond of the risks John took back in the old days, and when Arthur finally got them out of Beaver Hollow, she seemed extremely adamant that she didn't want to go back to the life he had risked so much to get them out of. Of course, since she was carrying a couple of revolvers and her horse's saddle role had a repeater and a rifle in it, it wasn't as though she could say she was a florist. She decided to be truthful, at least about what she was doing.

"I'm a working woman, Abigail." She told her. "I'm a bounty hunter."

She saw the look Abigail was giving her. She didn't seem to like the sound of that. While it was legal, it wasn't as if it was any less risky than their old life back in the gang. A bullet was just as lethal if it came from a crook's gun or a Marshals. That just made the next part all the more awkward. She took a deep breath.

"I was thinking, maybe if John wanted to make some money?"

"My husband, he ain't lookin' for that kind of work." Abigail said rather abruptly. Sadie kind of expected that. She regretted asking. She didn't want to mess things up between John and Abigail, things were finally going well for them. It didn't seem fair to ask them to put it at risk. This was exactly what Arthur had died for. She was about to apologise, to take back the offer but John was too quick to answer.

"I took on a lot of debt when we bought this place." John told her. Sadie started to shrink away a little as he said this. Abigail started to look between them. Something seemed to occur to her.

"And you've been workin' for her to pay for it?" Abigail asked, starting to sound pretty angry. Shit, this was exactly what Sadie hadn't wanted. Clearly John hadn't told her just HOW much they owed, or how he had been paying it off. It was probably an area of blissful ignorance for Abigail until now, after all the farm wasn't up and running yet, and it wasn't as though John had a whole lot of other assets or skills to use to get collateral.

"Yes, sometimes I was." John said rather directly. Sadie was starting to wish she had never come to Beecher's Hope now. Abigail and John loved each other dearly, but their relationship could be…contentious…to say the least. Abigail was never one to stay quiet when she wasn't happy and John was very much a believer in standing firm when he thought he was doing the right thing. Back in the day the camp usually became very clear very quickly whenever they started getting into it with each other. It was considered safer to be in the blast zone of dynamite than John and Abigail when they were at odds.

"But I thought we said no more of that!" Abigail snapped.

"No, YOU said that!" John responded pointedly. "What else am I gonna do? I'm a God damn man!"

"It's legal work, Abigail." Sadie said, trying to take some of the heat from John, hoping that Abigail would see her as the one to blame. "And I never got killed. It's hunting down fools for the Government. It's easy! Even Jack could do it!"

She screwed her eyes shut. Why did she have to say that?

"DON'T YOU PUT THOSE STUPID IDEAS IN THE BOY'S HEAD!" She yelled in Sadie's face. Well, if she wanted Abigail to be angry at her, she had certainly accomplished that. She didn't want John to fall back into old ways, but she had always at least acknowledged that she had always known what John was. He was already an outlaw when they got together. However, she had always been determined she didn't want Jack to follow that path, even when they were still with the gang. The only thing guaranteed to piss Abigail off more than John doing something stupid was anyone talking about Jack following in those particular footsteps. "He's gonna do something better than this!"

"Like what? Write silly stories?" John asked.

"I'm sorry, Abigail." Sadie sighed. She really hadn't wanted to cause trouble. "Really, I am. I just thought if you wanted to earn some money…"

"How many times to I got to bury you John Marston?" Abigail demanded angrily.

"Never!" John snapped back. "You ain't never burying me. It's legal work that I can handle."

Abigail didn't look at all happy. Sadie knew it was too late to take the offer off the table now. She wanted more than anything for John and Abigail to be on the same page, so she decided on the one thing she could think of that would tip the scales for Abigail from an offer John might take even if she didn't like it and an offer she'd probably shoot him herself to stop him taking.

"There's something else." Sadie said in a barely audible whisper. John looked to her; he knew she was still looking. There was only one thing that got her like that.

"Micah?" John asked. However, Abigail's face noticeably changed colour, like a demon was rising up within her. It got precisely the reaction Sadie anticipated.

"Bounty hunting is one thing but GOD DAMN MICAH?" Abigail yelled.

"I heard he was up country. Some feller who sounded just like him." Sadie told them, recalling the last rumour she'd heard before she started chasing Dutch's breadcrumbs. "Killed a whole family bar a little girl."

"Leave Micah alone!" She declared. Abigail got up, giving John that look that told him it was time for them to go somewhere that bystanders would be safe so they could really get into it. John put his dish down and headed into the house with Abigail. The door slammed behind them, causing them all to jump, before raised voices came from inside. Sadie looked sheepishly down to her dinner, taking one more bite, before putting it down. Dear God, Abigail hadn't learned to cook!

"I don't see what's so bad about writin' stories." Uncle grumbled. "It seems to work for Mary-Beth. Pretty damn good money too! Last I heard she had a huge house! All for writin' some dirty stories that get folks all hot under the collar? If I knew makin' money was that easy, maybe I'd have picked up a pen instead of a six-shooter."

"When the hell did you ever pick up a six-shooter?" Sadie asked him. Jack just started chuckling. A moment later, the shouting stopped and John and Abigail came back out of the house. Sadie held her breath for a moment. She was just waiting on getting told to get the hell of their property and never come back. She wouldn't have blamed Abigail if she had.

"I'm sorry Abigail." Sadie apologised. "I came by, because I was ridin' by chasin' a feller and I thought john wanted to earn some extra money."

"What is it?" Abigail asked her. Sadie was a little stunned. She wasn't expecting that. She figured that since the house was still standing and everyone was still alive, they had to have come to some kind of understanding. It looked like John had managed to somehow talk Abigail around to considering the bounty.

"Abigail, we need the money." John reminded her.

"Some feller robbed his business." Sadie explained. "You know, an accountant or something? Came down from Rhodes I believe."

"How much does it pay?" Abigail asked. Sadie was grateful that Abigail was calming down at least. She didn't have to involve John when it came to Micah if it would cause too many problems, but Thurwell? How much trouble could he really be? And it was a pretty nice bounty.

"It pays good." Sadie assured her. "The soft ones usually do."

"Okay then…I guess." Abigail responded. "But Micah? No!"

"Alright." Sadie sighed, getting up. "John Marston? Let's go!"

"Just, you bring him back to me you hear?" Abigail reminded her.

"Of course." Sadie said as she and John headed for their horses. Abigail just stood on the porch watching as they rode out of the farm, heading up into Tall Trees. As they went, something caught the corner of Sadie's eye. She looked towards the barn, seeing Charles watching them go, before turning and heading back inside.


	64. A Soft Job

The ride from Beacher's Hope to Tall Trees wasn't a long one really. John's new homestead really wasn't terribly far from the heavily wooded hills overlooking the range. It was one of the things that had given John some problems when he was setting up the farm. There was a particularly nasty, brutal gang known as the Skinner Brothers that had been spreading bloodshed and terror across the whole region for months.

Although they were named for their leaders, they gave the name a whole other meaning. Skinning, burning, scalping victims and leaving them to die in truly horrific fashion all across the state. While other gangs' motives could generally be traced at some point to a tangible benefit. They would rob trains, banks, stage coaches…all things that would gain them goods, valuables or even just cold hard cash. The Skinners however seemed to have no such concerns. They were as willing to attack a penniless family of travellers as a heavily laden banking coach, and on more than a few occasions the latter would be left with virtually nothing of value being taken. No, for the Skinners, it seemed like it was the cruelty, the violence that they relished. They were monsters in the truest sense of the word. It was one of the reasons many people never ventured into Tall Trees if they could help it.

She'd since heard that the gang had moved on. They weren't territorial like the Murfrees or the Del Lobos, or even the O'Driscolls. They just came to an area, caused some trouble for a time, and then moved on. This time, she'd heard that the impetus behind their decision had been John. Not only had there been reports of many Skinners being found dead in and around Tall Trees and Beachers' Hope, gunned down in a way that few people other than John had the ability to do, but two of their most revered members, Elias Green and Otis Skinner himself had been captured and hung in Blackwater. John's work. Still, she wasn't going to rule out the possibility of running into them, or more importantly the possibility that in his desperation to escape, Marshall Thurwell had inadvertently run into one of the most vicious gangs to ever exist. She'd heard that victims of the Skinners could last days, even weeks before they finally died. She could only hope they weren't too late to find him before he could talk.

What made the journey longer was the quiet. She didn't know what to say to John. What could she talk to him about? The last time she'd met him before coming back they'd had a blazing row. To make matters worse, once she got to the farm, when she found out that Abigail and Jack were back and things were going well for John, instead of being able to straighten things out with him, she'd ended up causing a huge fight between him and Abigail when she brought up the job. She couldn't help feeling guilty. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the happiness that John was starting to build for himself. Getting out, making this new life, that was supposed to be what all of Arthur's sacrifices had been all about. Instead, she'd once again somehow managed to blow in on the wind and stir up a shit storm. She rung the reins of her horse tightly in her hands, taking some deep breaths, steeling herself for what she had to say. She'd never been good at apologising for her mistakes, even before she'd lost her mind chasing Micah Bell the length and breadth of the country.

"Hey, nice of you to stop by and see the place, finally." John said, finally breaking the silence. Sadie looked to him a little surprised. She was expecting him to resent her, to hate her for causing trouble. He had every right to think she was not worth the trouble. Hell, she would probably have understood if he told her to get the hell off his land and never return the way she seemed to just blow things up when he was happy with his family once more. However, looking to him, he was…he was smiling. Even despite hurricane Sadie coming in and messing things up as she always did, his new life made him happy. It was a good look on him, one she hoped would stick. John could hold a grudge like few she had ever met, but never with friends. It seemed that he didn't feel a need for Sadie to apologise.

"Abigail's back, with the boy, you must be so pleased John." Sadie said, forcing a smile. "And the ranch? You were right. It's really something."

"I think I'm…uh…going to ask her…to marry me." John said, his voice lifting as he told her this part of his plan. She recognised the tone. The lift, the hope, the little hint of a childish glee…it was very much the same tone that she had when Jake had proposed to her all those years ago. She could still remember the day he got down on one knee. He was so nervous he dropped the damn thing, and it took him what seemed like years to finally get the question past his lips. It didn't take anything like that long for Sadie to give him her answer. Her lips were on his as soon as he finally managed to get the last word past them. She started smiling as he recognised that in John. "I got a ring. It was…it was Arthur's. I found it in a bunch of his things that I've kept."

Sadie had to look away hearing that as a tear slipped down her face. She wasn't sad to hear about Arthur. If anything, all she could think of was how honoured he'd be that he could be a part of that. He'd given his life, sacrificed most of his final days so that John could get this life, and hearing that he could be a part of it, even in this small way? She could only imagine if he could come back, even just for a moment, how big his smile would be to be a part of it.

"You're marryin' Abigail, or askin' her at least?" Sadie asked, wiping away her tear before she looked back at him. "Oh my, I never took you for a romantic."

"No, me neither, but…it's something I've thought about…and I, I think…I know…I want it." John told her.

"Okay. I guess I thought you were married already, long ago." Sadie responded. It had never really occurred much to her. John and Abigail had been together at least as long as she'd known them. They had their problems, of course, but they had always been together. She was dimly aware that they hadn't actually gotten married. It was a little difficult to go into town and sign a marriage register in a church when there was a bounty on both the bride and groom's heads, but all that time? She'd kind of assumed they had probably gotten married somewhere along the line. Looking at them, she couldn't imagine anyone that seemed more like they belonged together than them.

"No, not really, not officially." John clarified.

"Well, I'm real happy for you, John." She answered sincerely, feeling her heart lifting for him. She still regretted coming into his life and making a mess, but it seemed there were some things even she couldn't foul up. John was getting the life she and Arthur had fought for, and she was damned if she was going to risk ruining that now. She was determined, when they got back, whatever happened, this was the last time she'd involve him. After this, she would leave him to the happy ending that he deserved. "Being married, it made me real happy."

As they rode up into Tall Trees, she pulled on the reins, veering off the path.

"We're cutting off the main track up here, by Mananitta Post." She told him. "According to what I heard, this moron accountant, Marshall Thurwell, he's been tryin' to live like an outdoorsman. He was seen headin' this way. Probably campin' out here."

"Out here? He'll be lucky if the Skinner Brothers ain't found him." John remarked, echoing her own concerns. Although it had been a while since any attacks, leading to some believing they had moved on, not many people were willing to take the risk to test that theory and wander into the woods to find out. The reason he'd gotten this far was that those chasing him had turned back rather than risk it. Either Thurwell had decided to take his chances with the Skinners, or far more likely, since he wasn't from the area, he didn't know the risk he was running heading into the woods.

"Well, they mighta." Sadie sighed, unable to rule out her worst-case scenario. Thurwell was her last, most reliable lead on Micah. If he slipped through her fingers, then she had no idea where to find Dutch to ask for more help. If, God forbid, he had run into the Skinners, then the only hope was that enough of him was left alive to question before his misery ended. As they got towards the crest of a hill, she could see a campsite. "Up here."

They dismounted and started to look around. Very quickly they both drew their weapons. There was no one in sight, but that didn't mean that the area was safe. The camp looked like it had been abandoned quickly, like it had been in a panic. Food, clothing, utensils, tools…they were all still littered around, completely unsupervised. They were also scattered, thrown around, like the campsite had been tampered with. It looked like a wild animal had been through here, but with the Skinners…they could be just as bad. It wasn't like they had much use for money or jewellery.

"This…this looks…"

"Looks like a bear or something came through here." John interrupted her, nodding in agreement. There was certainly enough damage for that to be the case. Sadie looked around the ground for signs of scat, urine or claw marks. It was a little troubling to think that it might be preferable they ran across a bear than an enemy that while technically human certainly pushed the boundaries of that definition to the limit.

"And feller left in quite a hurry." She commented, picking up a fancy looking watch. It was gold, had some jewels in it, and was etched in a very ornate style, some kind of landscape. It was inscribed inside the lid. It was far too fancy for a traveller, but for an accountant that was ripping off his businesses to the tune of thousands? Not out of the questions. No matter how rich crooks were, one thing was always true. The biggest mistake they made was making it clear how much money they had. It was vanity that often tripped a lot of her bounties up. A guy turning up in town splashing the cash around in a casino or a saloon or casually handing over pounds of gold like it was nothing stuck out in people's minds. She read the inscription and smiled. It was his alright.

"He's from the South, whoever he is." Sadie said, hoping to convince John that she didn't see Thurwell as anything more than just another bounty.

"Then maybe he's our man. If he ain't become some bear's lunch." John said as he nodded in the direction of the tracks. Sadie had also seen the way they had indicated he had gone. John headed to his horse to mount up. Sadie was now a little more concerned about Thurwell. With the Skinners, he'd be alive for a while at least. If he was caught by a bear, odds were he'd not last long. She tossed the watch to John, who just stared at it. "You don't want this?"

"I got a watch." She replied, patting her pocket.

"But you found it. Perks of the job." John reminded her. While it wasn't strictly speaking legal, it was kind of an unwritten rule that bounty hunters got to help themselves to the possessions of the fugitives they brought in. It wasn't like they belonged to them in most instances and unless they did something really outrageous like keep the takings of a bank heist, more often than not most Marshalls were willing to look the other way when they helped themselves to the ill-gotten gains of their bounties. It was more hassle than it was worth to figure out who was the rightful owner of everything they had and return it.

"It'll be a nice little slice off that loan of yours." She told him with a wink. "Call it a weddin' present."

"Fine by me." John replied, shrugging and putting it in his pocket. He was a proud man, but he wasn't too proud to take a good score when it was just offered to him. If Sadie didn't want the watch, it wasn't like he was too proud to turn his nose up to it. She mounted up and confirmed the direction John was looking by pointing. "It looks like he went this way."

"Him or the bear?" John asked her.

"Both of 'em." Sadie said, a little worry in her tone. There were plenty of signs. Disturbed bushes, paw prints, broken branches…it looked like the bear was big, and was moving fast. Thurwell had been chased. Not many people could outrun a bear in full flight, but she hoped that Thurwell could until he could at least get to some cover.

A little way on, they found an old, dilapidated house. She remembered there was a property in the portfolio around here. This was probably where Thurwell had intended to go, but the house had been abandoned for so long it had all but completely fallen down. Thurwell had probably gone to camp in higher ground after looking at it, but in his flight, he'd come back down here. They could see the tracks ending around here, but there was something far more worrying. There was a body lying on the ground just outside.

John followed Sadie as she went to the body, inspecting it, hoping her last big lead hadn't ended up becoming bear food.

"My God, what monster did this." She gasped. It looked like a bear attack, but it sure as hell wasn't like any bear she'd ever seen before. The claw and teeth marks looked far larger, and the attack more frenzied, like the thing had gone completely mad. The skull was completely dashed open by a paw, while the body was barely holding together.

"Our man?" John asked dejectedly. Thurwell's bounty was for capture alive. If this was him, then the marker was worthless. Sadie inspected what was left of the clothing.

"Maybe." Sadie said, unable to find any way to identify him. There wasn't a whole hell of a lot of the poor bastard left. Thurwell didn't have any scars or tattoos according to his description. He wore glasses but they could be anywhere by now, including in a bear's stomach. The clothes didn't look too fancy, more hard-wearing than stylish or expensive. While that would make sense to most, given the gaudy nature of the watch, she didn't get the impression Thurwell was the kind of guy that went anywhere without looking his best. "Looks more like a local farmer to me. Or what's left of one."

"Is it gone?" They heard someone yell in a panic from the house. They both pulled out their guns, looking around. The voice had a Southern accent, one that seemed to fit.

"You Marshall Thurwell?" Sadie called back in.

"That I am, ma'am." He replied. Yes! Finally, a stroke of luck! It looked like the poor bastard on the ground was just an unlucky traveller or farmer. Thurwell must have managed to hide himself in the rubble, somewhere too tight for the bear to fit to get in after him. She looked in the doorway.

"I'm here to arrest you on behalf of the State of Lemoyne." She informed him. "You're wanted for theft, fraud and avoiding arrest!"

"Is the monster still out there?" He stammered as he started to shift and scramble out. Sadie suddenly felt a little worried. He wasn't begging, he wasn't bargaining, he wasn't trying to run. He was facing some stiff charged back in Lemoyne, the kind of charges that normally led to people trying just about anything to worm out of. If he wasn't trying to get them to let him go, then that suggested he thought he was safer with them than the bear. She looked around.

"No, I think he's gone." Sadie said uneasily. Now she was hoping that was the case too. It had already killed one person; she didn't want to add to that list if she could help it.

"Come out!" John instructed him.

"Don't shoot!" He pleaded with them. Sadie rolled her eyes. As if she'd go to all this trouble just to shoot the bastard. Even if she didn't want to question him, he was worth literally nothing to her dead.

"Keep walking!" Sadie instructed him, getting out a length of rope. "Come on."

"LOOK OUT!" He squealed as he dived back into the rubble. Sadie heard some crashing and turned around just in time to see the bear coming right for them.

It was absolutely massive, bigger than any damn thing she'd ever seen! Its fur was black as night, and it was covered in scars. It barrelled towards them with a huge, rumbling roar that sounded like the earth was splitting open. She dropped the rope and pulled her revolver, but before either she or John could get a shot off, it ran between them, sending her flying head-first into the wall, and sending John flying through the air, landing out of sight.

Her hearing was tinny, and her vision was blurred as she got up. She could still hear it snarling and knew she didn't have time to shake away the cobwebs. She fumbled around on the ground, before hearing some gunshots, five or six in quick succession, followed by loud snarls and screaming. She recognised the voice, it was John! Shit, the bear had got John!

She fumbled around frantically, looking around. She saw the gun, but it was blurry, out of focus, she slammed her hand down repeatedly, trying to find the difference between where it looked like it was and where it actually was, before finally finding the gun. She got up and stumbled back into the wall, using it to steady her. Her balance was off, but John didn't have time for her to get her shit together. She looked around, finding him on the ground, with the bear taking swipes at him, frantically stabbing at it with his knife. She tried to aim, but her hand swayed and she could hardly see straight.

"John, hold on!" She screamed as she tried to get a bead on it. "I'm seein' triple!"

"Then shoot the three bears!" John screamed at her as his knife blurred into the bear's hide again and again, frantically hoping that one of them might convince it that this snack wasn't worth the effort. Sadie took him immediately at his word. He didn't have time for her to worry about getting the right shot. She emptied her revolver into it, opening the chamber and starting to reload as it got off John, allowing him to get his revolver back. He opened fire again, giving her time to get her gun back ready. She got to his side, firing into it. Between the two of them, they finally managed to drive it off. Though it was likely more a case of the bear just not thinking the meat was worth the effort. It ran off fast enough for them to know it would likely be back eventually.

"I think he's gone." Sadie panted, beginning to get her breath back, her bearings and balance starting to return to her. John got up, checking his injuries. He'd been clawed at, but he had been quick enough to prevent it ripping him open like a Christmas present. She offered him a hand to get up.

"Fucking monster." John stated. Sadie just nodded. She couldn't agree more, and she had no intention of waiting until the bear got hungry enough to come back for another go. She turned back to the house.

"Thurwell!" She called out, limping towards it. She swayed a little, she wasn't quite a hundred percent, but she wasn't willing to waste any more time on this. She'd already almost gotten John killed once today.

"Get out here!" John snarled. "Before I come in there and kill you myself!"

Sadie didn't think John was likely to kill Thurwell. He needed the money and knew that dead, Thurwell was no more use to him than the poor farmer on the path was. He was, however, understandably pissed off enough to have no patience for his shit.

"I…I'm coming!" Thurwell squealed as he came out.

"Pathetic!" Sadie sneered, spitting on the ground. "You waitin' to see if that thing ate us?"

"No, ma'am. That weren't it." He protested.

"Yes, it were!" Sadie called out, losing patience with him. "Come here!"

As he cautiously walked towards her, Sadie swung for him, her revolver colliding with his head, at which he fell to the ground, crumpling like a ton of bricks and landing on the ground unconscious. She'd hit him hard, way too hard! A lot harder than she intended to. She didn't fully have her bearings and had let him have it. She could see he was still breathing though, so that was a cause for relief. She started to tie him up as John went for the horses.

He returned and they quickly got Thurwell onto the back of Sadie's horse and rode off. They weren't willing to hang around any longer than they had to.

"I can't believe we didn't kill that bastard." John mused.

"Gave him somethin' to remember us by, at least." Sadie said, trying to look on the bright side of things. "You alright John?"

He reached to one of his injuries, seeing blood seeping through his shirt. He just sighed.

"Yeah, just, we always find a way to almost get killed, don't we?" He asked her. Sadie felt her stomach beginning to turn. He wasn't wrong. She had promised Abigail this was a soft job, but in truth, there was no such thing. She just…never really took the dangers she put herself in that seriously. If anything, part of the same sickness in her brain that couldn't let her live through a day without feeling angry at the world, feeling sick to her stomach that Micah was still out there, his every breath an insult to Arthur also led to her being unable to care that she threw herself into danger that no one could describe as sane. Was what she had said to John in Rhodes more than just something that slipped out? There was a difference between not caring if she died and wanting to die.

"Uh huh, that's kind of the problem." Sadie agreed. It gave her an opportunity, a way to have John understand when she didn't come back to ask for his help again. Instead of just riding off and never coming back, she could give him an explanation. "Maybe…maybe it wasn't right for me to take you along on those really heavy things. A family man and all. Seeing all this? I don't know if I can do it again."

"I'm my own main ain't I?" John protested. Shit, she should have seen this coming. John was possibly the only person on the planet as stubborn as her. "I get to make those calls. I needed the money."

"You are your own man, sure. But I'm my own woman." She argued as they headed out of Tall Trees, into the plains on the road to Blackwater. "I get to decide who I ride with, and I don't know if your ranch and your kid and your wife are things I wanna be worrying about when I hear a gunshot."

She looked up as she saw a long shadow coming towards her. Two horsemen were coming the other way up the path. She squinted to see who it was.

"Who's this up here?" She asked.

"Is that? Are you Sadie Adler, ma'am? The bounty hunter?" One of them asked.

"I am." She replied. "What of it?"

"Is that Marshall Thurwell?" The other asked, pointing to his limp form hanging over the back of Sadie's horse. Sadie just looked to him, then back to the stranger.

"What if it is?" She asked him.

"We was wonderin' if you would let us ride with you, share in the bounty." The first said. "You know, as a personal courtesy."

Courtesy? No, she'd seen this before. They wanted to share in a bounty they had done nothing to capture. She'd normally have told them to go to Hell, to take her chances, but with John there? Would it really be so bad to split the bounty this once? She could make the difference up to him and he had the watch.

John made the decision for her. He drew his revolver and before the two knuckle-heads could even move, John had shot each of them right between the eyes.

"What's your wife gonna think about this? God damn you!" Sadie shrieked as they both spurred on their horses and left the scene. Once they were a little way away, John finally spoke.

"This is a cold business, ain't it?" He asked. Sadie was a little taken aback, but he'd been with her on a couple of jobs and knew how common it was for bounties to be poached. She couldn't help laughing.

"Yep, it certainly requires a certain level of detachment." She agreed.

"You said you knew something about Micah." He said, his tone changing. Shit, why had she even brought him up? She'd taken John on a job to bring in an accountant who'd all but pissed himself just looking at them and almost got him killed. Could she really bring herself to get him involved with Micah?

"Are you sure you want to hear about him?" She asked him in response. "Ain't…all that back at your ranch enough?"

Sadie wasn't trying to say it in so many words, but she knew John would understand what she meant. Abigail had made it clear in no uncertain terms that she didn't want John involved in looking for Micah. She loved Arthur every bit as much as they did, but she didn't think going after Micah would accomplish anything other than putting them at risk. They came up on Blackwater, making their way towards the police station.

"If I find him, I will handle it!" She assured him.

"Your bounties, that's your decision if you want to bring me along or not." John stated bluntly. "But…but Micah, that's something we, well I…I gotta do. You know what I mean?"

"I know." She sighed. There was no getting through to John. Now she knew how frustrating it had to be for others when they talked to her. All she could do was tell him something, then hope she would get to Micah and end it without him. "Well, I'm hearing things. A lot of things, still mostly whispers, but I think he might be pretty close."

"When you hear something real? You bring it to me." John told her.

"Okay." She replied. She hated lying to John, but she couldn't risk his life again if she could help it. He'd never listen to her if she tried to talk him out of following her. Instead, all she could do was hope he'd understand when he never saw her again. "I'll bring it to you. But you think long and hard if this is what you really want. Everything you have, and everything you have to lose."

With that, they rode up to the front of the police station. John lifted Thurwell off the back of the horse, at which Sadie directed him to dump him on the porch.

"Go on, get home to your wife." Sadie urged him. "Let you know if I hear anything about Micah."

"You need a hand getting him in?" John asked. Sadie grabbed Thurwell's ankles, dragging him inside.

"No thanks, I got it." She assured him. "I'll send your share to the bank when I get paid."

"Thank you." John told her. With that, he mounted up and rode away. Sadie watched him go, breathing a sigh.

"Goodbye, John Marston." She whispered, before dragging Thurwell in through the door. When she got there, Chief Dunbar was sitting at his desk. He saw her dragging him in, dropping his feet on the floor.

"Here he is, Marshall Thurwell." Sadie told him.

"Is he alive?" Dunbar asked, looking to the man on the floor. He still hadn't moved. He knelt down next to him, holding a hand to his mouth. He nodded. "Alright, I'll look out the money and arrange his transfer to Rhodes."

"And that little…quiet time we talked about?" Sadie asked him as Dunbar handed over the money. Dunbar just looked to her.

"You damn near caved his skull in." He reminded her. "I need him alive or I don't get paid. What assurances do I have?"

Sadie looked town at the money in her hands. She could see his point. It didn't look good if he arranged a transfer only for Thurwell to end up dead before the coach came to collect him. She counted out half the bounty money, her share, and handed it back.

"You go take the boys to the saloon." She told him. "I'll give you the rest if anything happens to him."

"That's a lot of money to give up Mrs Adler." He pointed out. Sadie just looked at him. Dunbar just gathered up his belongings and headed out the door.

"You make a mess; you clean it up." He told her. With that, he left. Sadie went out to the horse trough outside, gathered some water in her hands, and then went back inside, dumping it on Thurwell's face, waking him up. He started to splutter.

"Where am I?" He asked her. "I thought you were taking me to Lemoyne."

"Oh, you'll get there soon enough." Sadie assured him. "But first, you and I are gonna have a little chat."

She pulled out her knife, kneeling down next to him.

"What do you know about Micah Bell?" She asked him. He went as white as a sheet.

"I…I…I don't know anything!" He rushed out in a panic.

"Now, I find that real hard to believe." She told him, bringing the knife to hover over his face where he could see it. "Now, how about we try this again? What do you know about Micah Bell?"


	65. Rat Hunt

Levin was still in the saloon, compiling his notes on Sadie's story, but also looking through the documents they had procured along the way and a few newspapers. He had never really considered a career in law enforcement, it all sounded far too dangerous. He most certainly preferred his gun battles in the pages of his books if he could possibly help it, however it wasn't as though investigation was something he wasn't used to.

Between his extensive schooling and his writing, Levin had become accustomed to reading and piecing together information from numerous sources to find the information he needed for his stories. After all, if he simply listened to what people had to say and reported that then he'd probably have published that Calloway had killed fifty-three people in a shootout in Armadillo, a town which at the time only had a total population of 39.

He did embellish his stories more than a little for dramatic effect of course, certainly his fictional work, but with his biographies, he did like to keep things at least within the realm of the remotely believable. It hadn't taken too long for him to realise that the shootout Calloway had talked about in one of his many drunken stupors had in fact only produced a total body count of seven people going by the burial records of the town pastor. Whether Calloway simply lied, forgot, exaggerated or was simply to God damned drunk to have any clue what actually happened was anyone's guess, any of those were possible. Still, Calloway wasn't in a position to come looking for him, unhappy at him reporting the far less impressive casualty figure and so he was happy to write a far more believable account…even if his actions in gunning down his former riding partners and his death in a gun-fight with Slim Grant were quite possibly some of the finest fiction Levin had ever written, but he wasn't exactly too worried anyone would look too deeply into any of that.

He knew that certain accounts were far more reliable than mere people. People had a habit of telling stories in a rather slanted way. Usually to paint themselves in a good light, such as making themselves more or less prominent in certain events than they actually had been. People's memories, particularly of violent or traumatising things were very often dubious and unreliable and, of course, some people were just bald-faced liars. Even so-called journalists, people who should write the true accounts of events were prone to putting a particular slant on a story based on the preferred stance of the writer. Then again, Levin could hardly judge anyone too harshly on that account since he had managed to successfully excise Tacitus Kilgore…aka Arthur Morgan…from the events of his biography of Calloway altogether. It hardly seemed fitting to throw Tacitus into the path of a train after he had helped him write by far his most successful book to date…not to mention after personally watching him best the fastest left-handed draw that had ever lived in a showdown doing so would likely have been his biggest and final mistake.

He found a few newspaper stories all relating to Micah's new gang. Numerous jobs had been attributed to them in West Elizabeth, and it was reported that they disappeared into the mountains before anyone could effectively form a suitable pursuit. A lot of robberies were attributed to them, though it was impossible which ones were down to them and which ones were opportunists that took the focus the Marshalls were putting on Bell as an opportunity to pull their own jobs and get away while Bell took the credit. The jobs were always hallmarked by senseless violence and brutality. Not the same bloodthirsty cruelty of the Murfrees or Skinner Brothers, but just in the fact that often they would leave no one alive in a hail of gunfire once they had gotten what they wanted before riding away. The most recent report was of a family that had unfortunate enough to be on a stage that was robbed, murdered for the coins in their pockets. The youngest victim was a six-year-old girl.

He was working between papers and a map, trying to find likely routes they had ridden into the mountains, but it was a lot of area to cover. He looked up as Dunbar and a few of his officers walked into the saloon.

"A bottle of your finest firewater!" He declared, flashing around a lot more cash than he normally carried. "Gentlemen, for the next hour, the drinks are on Mrs Adler."

Levin heard this, noting it with interest. Sadie was back, meaning she'd caught Thurwell and brought him back. Dunbar was a pretty straight-up guy, normally a big stickler for the rules, but he did like his whiskey, and he did owe Sadie more than a few favours for the many bounties she'd brought back. But the other part of what he'd said, the drinks were on her. She was paying? In many ways he didn't know why it surprised him to know that she likely handed back the bounty on Thurwell in exchange for some time alone with him. If he was the last link to Micah, then she would gladly give everything to be able to get him to talk.

He quickly packed up his materials, stuffing them into his bag, and ran to the police station to catch up with her and tell her about his own research. He was hoping that perhaps Thurwell could tell them something, anything that might make sense of his own research and perhaps find the butcher of West Elizabeth.

It was late at night, and the streets were mostly clear, so he didn't have any trouble getting to the police station. It was just as well; he could hear the screams from almost a whole street away. He started running, coming to the office and barging in, finding Sadie hard at work on Thurwell.

Thurwell was on the floor, his clothing already torn up and covered in blood. He'd seen Sadie do some pretty severe things, and had heard of her doing a whole lot worse, but as he watched her kneeling over him, pounding him into a pulp, he couldn't help feeling like this man was not some monster, some maniac like so many of the people in her stories, but just a man that if anything looked even more pathetic than he did.

"I'm just about done with you holdin' out on me Thurwell!" She growled as she ground her knee into his leg with a sickening sound as he squealed like a pig running from the butcher. "I know you deal with their money!"

"I…I don't know what you're talking about, I swear!" He screamed as she started grinding her knee painfully into him again. She grabbed his hair, yanking his head up and slapping him.

"Oh no you don't! You ain't passin' out, you don't get out of it that easily!" Sadie screamed at him. "Micah Bell…Micah GOD DAMNED BELL! He's murdered more folks in this region than smallpox and you think you ain't a part of it just because you only push around some paper?"

"I swear, I have no idea where he is!" Thurwell sobbed. Levin interjected.

"Mrs Adler, please…"

"Shut it Levin, this son of a bitch…"

"He's not going to talk if he bleeds to death!" Levin told her. He started pulling out some of his papers. "His crimes lately have been mostly in West Elizabeth. Do you know anywhere there he might be? Do you have any holdings that were purchased with his funds?"

"I…I don't know." He whimpered. "Most of what we bought there was just land…simple, empty land."

"Why in the hell would Micah Bell want empty land?" Sadie asked him. "He ain't no farmer! Closest he ever got to growin' anythin' was in his moustache when he didn't wash!"

"Please…I'm begging you…I don't know anything." He whimpered. Sadie finally had enough. She cut his legs free and grabbed him, yanking him to his feet and dragging him towards the door. "Where are you taking me?"

"Out for a swim!" She told him. Levin followed her, horrified as she took him out of the Sheriff's Office. She dragged him all the way up to the end of the pier and tied a rope around him. "On the edge!"

"Please…Please…I can't swim…"

"Get out on the edge or I'll blow your God damned brains out right here!" Sadie yelled, pulling out her revolver. Levin was stunned. Thurwell was still a bounty, she'd already claimed the money, if he didn't get transported to Rhodes alive then Dunbar would have paid her for nothing. Sadie above all else held her reputation in high regard. Word would quickly get out if she killed someone she had already been paid to deliver alive. It would be theft, it would be murder, and not the kind that she had already confessed to as she told Levin her story, those ones would lead directly back to her. Thurwell's legs quivered as he ducked under the railing and stepped out onto the edge. Levin could see the urine running out of the legs of his trousers. Sadie wrapped the rope around the railing, before shoving Thurwell hard, causing him to lean right back, dangling over the Lanahachee River. He started rambling in a mantra, praying to God that she wouldn't drop him. "Now, let's try this again! Where is Micah?"

"I don't know, I swear…OH GOD!" He squealed as she let out the rope, causing him to lean further back sharply. He was weeping uncontrollably in terror.

"I don't want to hear that bullshit!" Sadie screamed at him. "He gives you money! You give him money back! You have to meet up somehow!"

"He contacts me, he sends one of his boys, I only know about it when they meet me!" He protested. "The last one I saw was just before I got caught a couple of days ago and that was Cleet when he was cashing out!"

"Cleet?" Sadie asked. This piqued her interest. Cleet was one of Micah's running buddies from years before. He'd brought him and his friend Joe on the military train robbery before…she narrowed her eyes. "You sure?"

"Short feller…skinny…sharp nose…prison tattoo…"

"Yeah, that's the son of a bitch!" Sadie responded, pulling the rope a little, raising Thurwell up a bit. She stared straight at him. "What did he want?"

"He and Micah…they had some kind of fight! He wanted quick cash to get out of the country!" Thurwell told her. "He's holed up in Strawberry, he's waiting on the next train to New York before he can get a ship out of the country!"

"He's in Strawberry?" She asked him. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"A few days back, I needed to meet him, that's when the Marshalls saw me and chased me down here!" He protested. Levin leaned in, seeing Sadie considering what he had said.

"The schedule's only got one train a week to New York." Levin told her. "It leaves every Friday. He's likely still there!"

"Thank you, Mr Thurwell." Sadie said as she glared at him. "Now, I don't need you…"

"MRS ADLER!" Levin yelled as he saw her loosening her grip, letting Thurwell slip. She grabbed the rope, holding him up. She looked to Levin.

"You better make this good Levin!" She warned him.

"Please, I know how you feel about Micah, and Cleet…they deserve everything coming to them, but this man…"

"This man is a piece of shit Levin!" She reminded him, looking to Thurwell. "He may look all nice and fancy in those neat, expensive clothes. He might sit there tellin' himself and everyone else he ain't bad, that he ain't like those others because all he does is hold the money."

She glared at him.

"You just wash the blood off it so that they can spend it without turnin' too many heads." Sadie told him. "Every God damned cent of that money is someone's live, some poor bastard's family, gone…all for a handful of dollars. You may like to tell yourself you ain't like them, but if it weren't for you? If it weren't for bastard's like you, they'd never be able to turn that money around so fast. You just make it so much easier for them. They may kill people…you're the one that sells their lives!"

"Mrs Adler!" Levin called to her. "I understand all of that, but please…if you do this, if you kill him, Dunbar will come looking for you…"

"I don't give a shit Levin!" Sadie told him. "Once I get Micah…"

"And he'll look for your friend!" Levin reminded her. Sadie started to shift a little. He breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled Levin back in, hauling him back to the safe side of the railing.

"You are one lucky bastard." She told him. "But if you even think about talkin' about any of this…I'll be comin' back."

She shoved him and kicked him up the backside.

"Well, get!" She barked at him. "You know the way! Back to the station!"

After getting Thurwell back to the police station and locking him in a cell, Sadie and Levin mounted up. She had her lead, and she didn't want to risk it going cold. They rode out, heading North towards Strawberry. Even the threat of cougars in the night didn't dissuade Sadie from her journey. Levin made sure he kept nice and close the whole way.

"You said you did some readin'." Sadie said as they thundered down the road.

"I've been doing a lot of research into their attacks." He confirmed. "They're mostly centred around the mountains and forests of West Elizabeth."

"That don't really narrow it down Mr Levin." Sadie reminded him. It was big country out there, a lot of area to cover.

"Their jobs are brutal, violent…most of what the authorities know is based on what they find afterwards." He explained. "They don't leave many witnesses."

"Micah always did believe in leavin' a lot of hats on the ground." Sadie agreed coldly. He could see the determination in her, a cold rage almost a decade in the making. She could sense that the end of her search was close.

"The very few witness accounts vary, anything between half a dozen and a dozen or more." He told her. She just sighed.

"Son of a bitch." She muttered. "He always said he would run a small crew, half a dozen or so good guns and nothin' else. Easy to move and fast."

"They've been hitting mostly travellers. Mail riders, travellers, stage coaches, trains…"

"Wait, trains?" Sadie asked him.

"Yeah, he sometimes hits them coming out of Wallace or Riggs." He told her.

"Shit!" She responded as he said this. Now things were a decidedly different prospect. Train jobs were big time. While they could be done with a small crew, in order to do them well, it often required a pretty large crew. If nothing else the take was so big on many trains it would require a small army just to carry it all. Riggs Station and Wallace Station weren't too far from the mountains, but if they were hitting trains regularly, then it meant that Micah had to have enough guys to do it, even accounting for injuries or the occasional loss.

She was confident in her abilities, not to mention her own determination to feed the bastard to the crows. She didn't care if she died the very second after Micah did, but she knew even she had her limits. She had overestimated herself once to her cost in Mercer. She got lucky that they didn't just kill her there. She doubted that Micah would take the chance with her again. Even she couldn't walk through a wall of lead. Like it or not, she could not handle this alone. She shook her head. "What day is it tomorrow?" She asked him.

"Thursday." He reminded her.

"Well, if the train's Friday…we got two days to find Cleet and get him to tell us where Micah is." She told him as they arrived in town. She couldn't hope to go up against the kind of crew Micah had to have formed for himself alone. Levin was no more a gunslinger than she was a writer, and given the fact that the local law already seemed to be struggling to find Micah, she didn't hold much confidence in them helping her. She didn't want to bring John into it. She was done almost getting him killed, but there was one other person that she would trust with her life. She only hoped that she could convince Charles to ride with her. Of course, the last time she'd seen him, he had barely spoken to her at all. She could only hope that he might not turn his back on her on this one last ride.

"Can I help you?" The hotel owner asked as they went in.

"I'd like the room at the front." Sadie told him. She slammed down a sizeable sum of money, far more than the room was worth. She could have stayed for a month or longer based on what she had given him. The owner just picked up the money, beginning to inspect it. "I'd like a good view of the town."

He handed her the key.

"Would you like breakfast in the room?" He asked her. Sadie didn't answer, instead just gesturing Levin to follow her up to the room.

Getting to the room, she dumped her bag on the floor, gesturing to the window.

"Check the window, see what the view is like." She told him as she started rummaging in her bag.

"It appears fine, we can see the mountains and…"

"I don't care about the mountains; I want to know if we can see the town." Sadie told him. He took another look out the window sheepishly.

"Yes…yes, I can see…yes, from here we can see from one end of the town to the other." He answered.

"Good, that's just what we need." Sadie replied as she got her percolator out of her bag, beginning to set it up. She also got out a set of binoculars. "Strawberry's meant to be a dry town, but if memory serves the General Store ran a moonshine still, and I sure as shit remember Cleet had more than a little bit of a taste for liquor. If he's in town, he'll be showin' up here sooner or later."

She grabbed a chair and set it up by the window, while she gestured to the bed.

"You get some rest." She told him. Levin just lay down, quickly drifting off to sleep.

He didn't know how long he'd slept, but by the time he woke up the following morning, Sadie hadn't seemed to move from the chair. It was amazing to see someone so focused, and it was that focus that made her one of the most successful bounty hunters in the region. She didn't rest, she didn't move, she didn't give up. The whole night, and long into the day, she just sat by that window, keeping her eye out for Cleet.

Hours past, many long hours, so many that Levin just couldn't wait any longer and had to go for food. He brought some jerky back for Sadie as well.

The sun continued to move through the sky, and with only some coffee and some jerky, Sadie was able to remain by that window. Levin couldn't help taking a sketch for his book. It wasn't too difficult, Sadie hardly moved at all while she was there. It was a little unsettling actually, for a long time, he was even convinced she didn't even blink.

The townsfolk were finishing up their daily activities and starting to head for home while Levin was filling his pipe, when she finally spoke.

"That's him." She whispered. Although she barely made a sound, she had been sitting so quietly for so long that it still startled him so much he spilled some tobacco on the floor. He collected it, stuffing it in the pipe as he came to her side. She handed him the binoculars. "You see him by the post office? Little rat bastard with the greasy hair and the grey duster?"

"Yes…yes, I see him." Levin stated as he located the man Sadie had indicated. "Are you going to get him?"

"Not yet." She told him. "Mr Levin, can you do me a favour?"

"Dare I ask what it is?" He asked her. She took out a large bundle of money, thrusting it into his hand.

"Cleet's headin' to the General Store, likely to get his white lightning." She said. He watched out the window, Cleet was indeed heading for the General Store, checking each way before heading inside. "I want you to make sure he stays there."

"You want me to…to talk to the man?" He gulped. Sadie just nodded.

"Trust me, you've been speakin' to much more dangerous people." She told him. "I need to go get someone. You go there, throw around the money and make sure he don't leave. Get him good and drunk. By the time I come back tomorrow, I don't want him goin' nowhere fast."

Levin didn't like this plan; he didn't like it at all. This was getting him a lot closer to the story than he ever really intended to get. However, he had come this far, and he wasn't willing to see the story end just yet. He straightened out his suit, lit up his pipe, and strode out, heading towards the General Store.

When he got there, he found that the desk wasn't manned. No one was inside. He walked up to the counter and had a look, seeing an open trap door. There were aromas coming up that reminded him of peat fires and paint stripper. As he got closer to the hatch, the fumes alone made him feel a little light-headed. He started to climb down, finding the General Store owner and Cleet in the middle of a discussion.

"I told you I only sell by the jug." The owner told him.

"I ain't payin that much for…" Cleet started to complain, before he saw Levin. "Who are you?"

"Oh, sir…I'm afraid this is…"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to make trouble." Levin assured him, pulling out the money. "I believe your name is Cleet?"

"What if it is?" Cleet asked him. Levin just smiled.

"Then my long search is over." He replied. "My name is Theodore Levin, perhaps you've heard of me, I'm a writer…"

"I don't read so good." Cleet interrupted him. "Whatchoo want with me?"

"How would you like to be immortalised in print? One of the last great outlaws?" Levin asked him, holding up the money. "If you're willing to speak with me? I can buy you all the drink you want."

"Then grab a seat Mr Levin." Cleet replied, gesturing to a section of the floor. "I reckon I could tell you a lot of good stories."

"I'm sure you could." Levin agreed as the store owner gave them a jug of moonshine. He made sure to pass it to Cleet first. "Just start at the beginning, and don't leave anything out."


	66. Making a Rat Squeal

Sadie spurred her horse on, riding full-gallop the whole way from Strawberry. She knew that she didn't have long to get back-up and come back, and she wanted to make every second count. If Cleet got on that train to New York the following day, then he was as good as gone. She could always go after him, but the odds were anything he knew by the time she found him would be a long-cold trail when she got back. No, this was it, this was the closest she'd been in eight years, almost a decade, and it all hinged on what she did with the next couple of hours.

Riding through the night, the first light was already starting to come through as she rode through the river and up onto the plains. She had wanted to avoid returning to Beecher's Hope, but with the veritable army of bastards Micah likely had lying in wait in whatever shit hole he'd dug out for himself, she wasn't taking any chances. Pretty soon, within the next couple of days, she fully intended for Arthur to be avenged one way or another. She couldn't do that on her own, and while she had no intention of asking John for his help, she hoped that Charles would ride with her one last time.

She rode through the gate at first dawn, just as the day was starting. She saw Charles outside, beginning with the morning work. John, it seemed had made something of a start on the farm. She couldn't see much livestock, right now it looked like it was only a few chickens, but everyone started somewhere. Charles was in the coop, sprinkling feed around for them when he saw her coming. Sadie could see that he was in the yard by himself, and took this as a stroke of luck. If John wasn't here, then perhaps she could get Charles to come with her and leave John behind. She leapt off her horse with energy that belied someone that had been awake by this point almost two straight days. She ran up to him.

"Sadie?" He asked, seeing her.

"Charles, get your horse and come with me." She instructed him. He just stared at her.

"What? I have…you're…what is this?" He asked her as she started to ramble under her breath about something. She just stared at him.

"Charles, get your damn horse and come on!" She yelled, grabbing his arm and beginning to pull at him. Charles just yanked his arm away from her. She was hysterical, rambling nonsensically, acting like the world was coming to an end. "Come on, let's go!"

"Go where?" He asked her. "To do what?"

"It's Micah, God damn it!" She said, causing his eyes to open wide. "Come on, let's go get the son of a bitch!"

"Whoa, are you…are you serious right now?" He asked her. "You know where Micah is?"

"Well…no, not exactly, but I got a real good lead. I saw Cleet." She told him.

"Cleet…one of those bastards…"

"He was runnin' with Micah until a few days ago, but I just saw him in Strawberry!" She told him. "Sure as I'm starin' at you right now! We need to get there and get him to talk right now!"

"That sounds like something you can take care of yourself." Charles said, thinking about it. "What do you need me for?"

"Micah's got a crew. A real big crew, bigger'n we ever had." Sadie told him. "Once I find out where he is, I'm goin' after him, and I need back-up."

"Hold on." Charles told her, heading to the barn. He picked up a belt, strapping it on. He had his sawn-off shotgun in the holster, and his tomahawk tucked into it. He grabbed his quiver and his trusty bow, throwing them over his shoulder. "I'll get John…"

"No, not John." Sadie told him. He just looked at her incredulously.

"Are you seriously insane?" He asked her. "You just told me that Micah's got a damn army and you want to go after him just the two of us?"

"Charles, I…I can't…I don't want to risk John, not again." She told him. "He's done with this. I ain't causin' him any more grief with Abigail."

"Sadie, you going against Micah alone is suicide, but going with just the two of us isn't much better!" Charles pointed out as he checked his shotgun, putting in a couple of shells, before sliding it back into the holster. "If we're going at all, we're going with John."

"Charles…"

"I know that I can't stop you going after him yourself! God knows I know what it's like trying to talk you out of doing anything stupid!" Charles snapped at her. "But the least I can do is make sure if you are going, you're not going into a hopeless massacre."

"Charles…"

"JOHN!" He called out as they went around to the front of the house. "JOHN, COME OUT HERE!"

This was exactly what Sadie didn't want. She had tried, hoped to get Charles to come with her, but now that John was coming out of the house, there was no way for her to just leave now. He had seen her. She looked to him a little sheepishly.

"Hey John." She gulped as she looked to John and Abigail. "Abigail."

"Sadie." Abigail replied a little coldly. Sadie didn't really blame her for being a little unhappy to see her. It was only a couple of days since she had taken John on what she had insisted was a 'soft job' only to get him almost eaten by a bear. She looked to Charles and could see the stony expression on his face. If she didn't explain to John why she was there, then he likely would. Even if she turned and left now, they'd probably just follow her. She prepared to bite the bullet. "I found him. I found Micah."

"No." That was all Abigail had to say to that. It couldn't have been a more clear response if she'd written it on a bullet and fired it at her. She could see John looking at her.

"I got a lead." She explained. "One of his boys, wanted for murder, seen drinking in Strawberry."

This much was strictly speaking true. The fact he was drinking with a dime novelist that Sadie had paid to keep him there, getting him drunk out of his mind on moonshine so he couldn't leave town before they got back was a part of the story she wasn't so sure that they needed to know.

"If we can get to him, he can lead us to Micah." Sadie told him. She was now trying to think of a way to back out of it. She didn't want John to come with her. She could hear Arthur's voice in her mind echoing over and over…

"_If a Feller goes out lookin' for revenge, he should start by diggin' two graves."_

She'd learned that once, eight years previously. Arturo Bullard, an eccentric old man whose only misfortune was meeting her had been the victim. Going after some O'Driscolls, she'd gotten him caught in the crossfire. The saying was never meant to indicate that the second grave would belong to the one seeking revenge. A lot of people had become victims in her path of destruction. She wouldn't care if that second grave was hers. A part of her still believed she'd probably welcome it. Charles, she could live with, he was strong enough to tell her to go to Hell. But John, he had sworn revenge on Micah too. He'd go after him if he got the chance, and if he fell, she would never be able to live with herself.

"But I gotta go now." She stated, hoping that he would have something urgent to do on the farm, that he wouldn't be able to just up and leave with her on what she couldn't even guarantee would be a successful mission. John though was positively bouncing. His adrenaline was already running. She knew his answer before he even said it. "You comin'?"

"No!" Abigail stated.

"I will." Charles chipped in. Sadie looked to him. She was happy to know he would ride with her, but he'd gotten John involved when she didn't want him to. She could understand what he'd said, nothing and nobody would ever talk her out of going for Micah, he felt like he had to come with her one way or another, but he insisted on bringing John.

"That's your business." Abigail replied. "His business is here."

"Yeah." John said, directly contradicting Abigail. The blood drained straight out of her face as soon as she heard him say this. "Yeah, I'll ride with you!"

"No, I…" Abigail started to say, before following him into the house. "I'm begging you, NO!"

They disappeared inside, presumably while John went to get his guns. Sadie breathed a sigh as Charles just stood with her.

"Why'd you do that?" She asked him.

"Excuse me if I don't want you to get killed." Charles said flatly.

"I ain't plannin' on it, that's what you're for!" She answered.

"Sadie, we got no idea how big Micah's crew is, or what they've got." Charles responded. "We need all the help we can get."

"I wanted to keep John out of this!" She reminded him. Charles just nodded.

"I know the feeling." Charles replied. "Shame we don't always get what we want."

Just then, John came storming out of the house, carrying a large bundle of guns. They were highly modified, and expertly maintained. Sadie recognised some of the engravings. They were Arthur's. Not only had Arthur accumulated an incredible arsenal of extremely fine guns in his time, she was sure that a part of John thought it fitting that Arthur's guns be the ones to bring down Micah for good. He started to strap the roll to his horse.

"Let's go kill this son of a bitch then." John told them, swinging himself onto his horse. Sadie and John did likewise, before they began their long ride to Strawberry. Sadie hadn't wanted John to come with them, but with John and Charles with her? She did feel a power that she hadn't in a long time. It was a little like the old days, the times when she was sure with them by her side, she could accomplish just about anything. Last time she confronted Micah, Langton had an army with him, but she'd gladly take John and Micah over a hundred of those guys any day.

"Come on, let's get to Strawberry before he dries out." Sadie told them.

"Which one of Micah's boys is it?" John asked her.

"Cleet." Sadie responded.

"Which one was Cleet? The big one or the little one?" Charles asked her.

"The one with the rat face." She explained.

"My memory is they both had rat faces." John declared. Sadie kept in a little chuckle as he said this. In all fairness, that was true. It just stuck out more to her because on the military train robbery, she'd been paired with Cleet and had spent far more time with him than she'd ever have wanted to.

"The little bastard with the rat face then." She clarified for them. A look of recognition came over their faces.

"Him?" Charles laughed. "Yeah, he'll talk."

"You're damn right he will." Sadie concluded. There was no way she would let this opportunity pass her by. If Levin had done as he was asked, then by now Cleet was probably still either drunk off his ass or so hung over he'd need to dry out before getting on the train. The train left in the afternoon, so they had a couple of hours to find Cleet who was never going to be a match for them when he was completely healthy. But with a belly full of moonshine and drying out? If they got their hands on him, he would squeal like a piglet. "We owe this to Arthur!"

"You think Arthur cared about revenge?" Charles asked them as they rode. "I'm not so sure…especially not at the end."

"He cared about stopping Micah, and that's what we're doin'." She reminded him. She couldn't very well sell the idea that it wasn't about payback for her. Blood for blood. But if they brought down Micah, they would stop him from ever hurting anyone else again. That was a motivation that a lot of people could get on board with. The last time she'd heard, his bounty had now surpassed six thousand dollars in one state.

"I hear you're takin' bounties now." Charles said, causing her to smile. She was pretty sure he'd shifted the subject because he knew the futility of talking her out of anything, but if there was one thing she missed about the gang, it was the small-talk, the jokes.

"I hear you're buildin' houses." She answered back.

"Mmm hmm. When I'm not killin' old friends." Charles responded.

"Well, nowadays I'm almost always killin' old friends." She answered. "Old friends and new. Ain't that right John?"

"Seems that way." He agreed. Sadie glanced at Charles, seeing him ready for the fight. It was a comforting presence, one she'd been eager to have with her more than once. She kept the tone light-hearted, but she felt a little twinge in her stomach as she asked.

"You interested in bounty hunting Charles?" She asked him. "My old assistant, well…he got put out to pasture."

She hoped by making it sound like a joke, he might not take it seriously if he ended up refusing. But once this was done, once she had killed Micah and got her story to Levin, she was leaving this all behind. One way or another, Sadie Adler was done with America. She knew that there were places her skills were needed beyond the borders of this country that just seemed to keep taking things from her, things she cared about. Having someone she trusted with her might not be so bad.

"No, that work ain't for me." He told her. "I think…I think I might get out of here."

This made a certain amount of sense. She knew he'd liked it up there. She knew he liked it with the Lakota. He had only come back to settle things with Arthur, and circumstances had led to him staying. Now though, there really wasn't much reason for him to stay. He'd helped John build the farm, really all he needed now was the livestock, and he could buy them any time once he had the funds. It was a nice thought he might come with her though, if only for a moment.

"Go North. Canada. Find a woman." He said. "Start a family, if I can. I see how that life…I'd like to give it a try, if I can."

"Hoo wee, John! You've given him the family bug!" Sadie chuckled, hearing him talk about this. Charles had never spoken much about his hopes for a family before. She could only imagine spending time with John, Abigail and Jack had inspired him. She could understand it. A little part of her remembered at one time having that life for herself, even if children was the one thing that had eluded her and Jake.

"I thought we would have inspired him into a life of celibacy and isolation." John laughed in response. It was true, his relationship with Abigail could get tempestuous at times, but they could see how happy it had made him after he realised what he had and started to appreciate it. Sadie figured now was as good a time as any to prepare them for afterwards.

"You know, I've been thinkin' of gettin' out of here too." She told them, leaving out the part about the fact it was always her plan. If she survived long enough to see Micah killed, she already had her plan in place. Thanks to Levin, she would give the authorities what they wanted, all the answers tied up in a neat package with a bow on top. She would put her own head in the noose and take responsibility for it all. If she timed it right, then by the time the book was released and people read the story, she would be long gone. "Down South America maybe. It's wild, but less…mean I guess."

She glanced aside, seeing Charles looking at her. She just smiled.

"I'd run protection for a gold mine or take up with a handsome revolutionary…I don't know." She told them. She didn't want them to worry, but once she left, she was under no false impression that she would likely never be back. Either the authorities would catch up to her before she crossed the border and she'd hang for her crimes, or she'd be over the border and beyond their reach, but unable to return. Either way, John, Charles, Abigail, Jack…none of them would ever have to worry about anyone looking for them again. "Something. SEE something else at least."

"That all sounds good." John replied, his voice lifting a little.

"It all sounds good." She agreed. "But we've got some business to take care of first."

They rode on a little bit further, the town coming into view. Sadie tugged on the reins, slowing up her horse.

"OK, Strawberry. This is it." She declared. "We'll leave our horses by the bridge, then we find him."

She looked around for any signs of chaos. If Cleet suspected that he was being set up, then even a cowardly little shit like him would have caused some trouble. Since there was no obvious signs of a fight recently, she was sure that he was probably just sleeping it off somewhere nearby.

"Okay, John, Charles, you take the other side of the river. I'll stay on this one." She instructed them. "If we meet in the middle? We should have covered most of the town."

"If he's here, we'll get him." Charles assured her.

"OK, let's go." John said as he went with him. Sadie started to look around, eventually finding Levin in a doorway. He was slumped against it, red-faced, with a silly little grin on his face.

"Ah…Mrsssss Addlller." He slurred as he saw her. "You'll be pleashed to know…urp…that I kept that ruff…ruff…that man busy all night."

"Yeah, it sure looks that way." Sadie replied with a smile.

"It was simple, I just got him started talking and soon he was out…urp…out like a light!" He said, snapping his fingers and falling a little with a silly little giggle. He gestured her a little closer. "Between you and me, that man cannot hold his drink."

"Yeah, that's what I was hopin'." Sadie replied. "Now, how about you head to the hotel room and get some rest. I'll catch up with you when all this is…"

"CLEET!" John shouted out. "CLEET! IT'S BEEN A WHILE!"

Sadie abandoned Levin, heading up to the upper bridge in the town. She ran across it, seeing John and Charles chasing Cleet, funneling him towards her.

"Stop that man! He's wanted for murder!" John called out. They chased Cleet up through the town, closer and closer to her position. She took a run at him, tackling him straight to the ground as he got close. She could see the fear in his bloodshot eyes. She hit him hard across the face as she stood up.

"Hello Cleet, remember us?" She asked him. "John, you want to take a turn?"

"Hey, hey, hey, we're old buddies, remember?" Cleet begged them. John wasn't having any of it though.

"Sure, Sadie, with pleasure." He replied, kicking Cleet hard in the ribs. He started to crawl away from John, until he ran into the side of a building. John pinned him there and started hitting him repeatedly. "Now, where's Micah?"

"Micah? I ain't seen him!" He protested. John punched him hard in the face.

"Where is he?" John asked him more forcefully.

"I don't know." He wailed as he tried to cover himself up to avoid further beating. "I ain't seen him since we fell out!" Sadie was losing patience. She just looked to him thoughtfully, before she turned and saw the gallows at the end of town.

"You know what? I'm bored of this." She declared. "Let's hang the bastard!"

Cleet continued to protest his ignorance, squealing that he didn't know where Micah was. Sadie knew that wasn't true. He'd only left him a few days ago if the accounts she'd heard were true. The truth was, if Micah was mad at him now, he'd be livid if he thought Cleet had talked. The one rule Dutch always had was that anyone was free to leave, but if anyone talked, if anyone threatened the gang, then the price was their life. She'd seen that first-hand when everyone believed Molly was the rat. She climbed to the top of the gallows and waited as John dragged Cleet up, dumping him in front of Sadie. She pulled out her revolver and aimed it at him, hauling him to his feet.

"Come on, I want you right here!" She told him, positioning him on the trap door. "Alright, string the no-good murderin' bastard up!"

John took the rope and positioned it around his neck, before backing off. Sadie pointed to the lever, which John grabbed. She looked Cleet straight in the eye.

"Let's try this again, where's Micah?" John spat as he glared at him.

"I told you, I ain't seen him!" Cleet whimpered, looking between John and Sadie. Sadie could tell it was going to be a case of making Cleet fear them more than Micah.

"You lie!" Sadie insisted.

"It ain't my fault!" He cried. "He tried to kill me!"

"Where's Micah?" She asked him again.

"Talk, or I'll pull this lever!" John yelled at him. Cleet just continued to whimper and even looked like he was praying. John decided to reinforce the point by moving the lever. When it was about halfway, Cleet finally realised that they were going to kill him if he didn't tell them what they wanted to know.

"He's up in the mountains!" Cleet rushed out pitifully. "He's up in Mount Hagan. He got a whole gang there!"

Sadie noted the detail. Mount Hagan was huge, and at one time had a lot of mines. There was a lot of shelter up there, some old camps and an old watchtower. It would be easy for him to hide an army up there, and the climate meant few would be crazy enough to go looking for him.

"Bad men, doing bad things!" He told them. "I…I…I tried to stop them from murdering that little girl! We fell out! Honest! Please…I'm one of the good guys!"

Sadie had heard enough. She knew Cleet was no more one of the good guys than he was a ballet dancer. He was just a cowardly little shit that got caught. He was trying anything to get out of here. She just glared straight at him.

"Hang him." She declared. John stared at her.

"No, don't do that John!" Cleet begged him. John's grip on the handle released. He was looking at Sadie in disbelief. They had already caught him, they could easily hand him over to the sheriff.

"I can't do that Sadie. Not like this." John told her. Sadie nodded. She understood, but she wasn't quite so merciful. She aimed the revolver, putting a round straight through Cleet's skull point-blank. He slumped down, the noose tightening around his neck, leaving him kind of swinging on the end of the rope, his knees a little above the boards. Sadie put away her revolver.

"Piece of shit." She growled as she headed to the edge of the gallows, hopping down off them. "Let's move along."

John and Charles followed her as they went to the horses. She mounted up.

"Come on, the little rat said Mount Hagan!" She reminded them, before spurring on her horse. John and Charles joined her, leaving Cleet swinging in the wind behind them. Sadie's eyes never strayed from the path as they rode. Eight years, eight long years and finally the time had come. Micah Bell was going to die.


	67. A New Mountain To Climb

The ride from Strawberry to Mount Hagan wasn't long as the crow flies, but it was very difficult country. Micah had taken a leaf out of the Hole in the Wall Gang's book by hiding out in Mount Hagan. The terrain was steep, rocky, very difficult to traverse, and most importantly, the climate was deadly for anyone that wasn't prepared for it. The mountain was frozen from about halfway up all year round, and with so many cliffs and valleys, it wasn't unknown for even seasoned travellers to not see a shifting snow drift or get blinded by the winds and snow and ride straight off the edge of a cliff to their doom. It was the kind of terrain that no sane bounty hunter or lawman would even consider a pursuit through. Though it could be argued, probably even by Sadie herself, that she had left sanity behind a long time ago.

They'd gone as far as they could before the sun went down, but after that they decided to make camp until first light. It meant that the lookouts that Micah would undoubtedly have near to his hideout would be able to see them coming a lot sooner, but after discussing the matter with John and Charles, they decided that the danger of going up the mountain in anything less than full visibility was considerably worse.

She sat by the fire, checking her guns for the day ahead. She wasn't going to come this far, only to have Micah luck out of his fate now. She wanted to make sure that nothing would stop her now. She didn't care if she had to bring down the God damned mountain on his head. Whatever it took, she was going to do.

John was a little way off, having opted to get some rest in before the shoot-out. She hadn't wanted him to come in the first place, she had wanted him to stay at Beacher's, to spend the day with Abigail and Jack and that stupid dog Rufus they'd seemed to pick up somewhere along the way, not be up here with her. On a practical level, John was one of the best fighters she'd ever ridden with. Back in the day it was always a toss-up between whether Arthur or John would end up leading the gang when the day came that Dutch finally stepped down. On a personal level though, even him being here felt a little like she was betraying the promise she made to Arthur to get him out. Unfortunately, Charles had made it clear that he wasn't coming with her without John. She had to wonder if perhaps he was hoping that she'd reconsider her move altogether, that she'd just leave Micah alone, but that was the one thing she couldn't do. She figured Arthur would understand, even if he'd probably spend a good long time chewing her out for bringing him along.

Charles had gone out, saying he wanted to take a look around. He wasn't planning to go too far, but he wanted to at least have a look to see if he could find a vantage point to give them some idea what they were up against.

Her hands trembled a little as she put her repeater on her saddlebag and went back to the fire, hoping to warm up. She poured herself another cup of coffee and held her tin mug, hoping to warm up. She pulled at her blanket, shivering slightly.

"You cold?" Charles asked as he arrived back, startling her and causing her to jump. God, he always was quiet. He'd taught her how to move like his people did, how to move so quietly she could get close enough to a skittish deer to decide which ear hole she wanted to put her round through, but to him, he'd been doing it so long it was instinctual. For a guy that was so huge that only Bill Williamson was able to look down on him, it was eerie that he just seemed to naturally walk as silently as a summer's breeze.

"A little." Sadie admitted. She offered him some coffee, at which he threw his tin cup to her. "I know, it's weird. I used to live up here. In fact,…I think my old homestead is only a few miles from here."

"That way." Charles said, fetching something out of his baggage as he pointed. "And up that way, Colter."

"It's been years since I've been this far north." Sadie admitted, pouring his coffee as he came over to her. "I guess I've just gotten used to the warm southern air. Gone soft."

Charles wrapped a big, warm blanket around her, wool, and of a style she recognised from the Lakota. Charles pulled it around her, pausing a little as his hand brushed against her hair, and the eagle feather trinket woven into it. She saw the way he looked at it, before taking the cup. He backed off towards his own baggage and pulling out another blanket for himself.

"Thank you." Sadie whispered, causing him to look up. "For…the blanket, for comin' for…everythin' really. I wouldn't have blamed you if you told me to go to Hell."

"You still have it." He said, sounding a little surprised. Sadie's hand strayed to the trinket. She stroked it gently. "I'd have thought you'd have gotten rid of it by now."

"What can I say? I guess I kind of liked it." She responded with a little bit of a smile. She gestured to the trinkets that Charles wore. "It looks like you picked up a few more since last time we met."

"After the refinery, I needed to get the Lakota to safety. It was a tough ride, a lot of tough terrain, but eventually I got them over the border into Canada." He told her. "It's good land, good people. They're treated much better up there. They chose to honour me. I became one of them."

"I know you liked it with them." She replied. "That why you're goin' back there?"

"Sort of." Charles told her, checking to make sure John was sleeping. "I only came back to help Arthur. Once I got his body out, I got caught up in a few things, had some stuff to deal with. John's house is pretty much built now. Even a piss-poor farmer like him could get that place up and running now."

Sadie laughed a little to hear him say that. It was true that collecting eggs and milking cows was hardly the future anyone foresaw for a man that at one time was considered a possible heir apparent to Dutch. Charles laughed too for a little bit, before his face fell a little, and she could see some sadness slipping in.

"I got a letter from the council a little while ago. It seems Rains' Fall is sick." Charles continued to explain to her. She furrowed her brows. Rains' Fall was old when she knew him, she wasn't even sure he was still alive.

"I'm real sorry to hear that." Sadie sighed. "How bad is it? Is he…?"

"He's frail, but it's not that kind of sickness. It's more of a sickness of the mind." Charles explained to her. "He's forgetting things."

"We all forget things, especially when we get older." Sadie responded. "Hell, I left my good cutlery somewhere a year ago, I still couldn't tell you where the hell I did."

"It's not like that. It's not just little things, it's…it's sometimes big things." Charles told her. "He'll go somewhere and forget why he was going. He'll ask for some friends that have been dead for years. More and more he's just not the man he once was."

"Shit." She whispered in sorrow. Rains' Fall had been an old man, but one of the strongest and wisest people she'd ever known. Although she'd only really gotten to know him in Waipiti, she'd met him briefly in Lakay…well, met was kind of glorifying it. He saved her life when she was completely out of her mind with fever after driving off the Night Folk. She could only think of watching Arthur in his final days, seeing him waste away, seeing him wither away. She could only imagine it was the same for the Lakota with Rains' Fall. "It's that bad?"

"The council have met and discussed it. They know that he can't lead them anymore." Charles told her. "They voted on it, and because of all the times I helped them and all I did to get them to their new home, they asked me to lead them. I'm going back to take his place."

"Well, it sounds like they made a fine choice." Sadie complimented him. "They'll be lucky to have you."

She was pleased to hear that Charles had found somewhere to go after all this was over. Like the rest of the Van Der Linde's, he'd been looking for somewhere to call a home, somewhere that he would be accepted. She remembered fondly the time they'd spent in Waipiti. Charles had been a different person with them than he had been with the gang. They wanted him, accepted him, but unlike Dutch, they only wanted him for him, not what he could bring them. He was happy when he was with them, and when the gang were going their separate ways, it wasn't a surprise that he went with them.

"I took a look around; I heard some voices." Charles told her. "Not hard, the sound carries and Micah's boys are not quiet…"

"Why'd you just leave?" Sadie interrupted him. Charles just looked at her.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"After the refinery…why'd you just leave?" She asked him again.

"The army was coming, we needed to…"

"The army would have taken at least a couple of days to get out there." She said, looking into her cup for a moment, before looking up to him again. "You never even said goodbye."

"I didn't want to say goodbye." He told her. Sadie just let out a little bit of a gasp hearing this. She didn't know how she expected him to answer, but that…it hurt. It definitely hurt.

"I…I understand." She stammered. Charles looked to her for a long moment, before continuing.

"It's like I thought, they're up in the old mines, using the old cabins most likely." He told her. "Unfortunately, there's not a good approach where at least someone won't see us."

"It's gonna be a tough fight alright." She replied. Charles just nodded in response.

"You should get some rest." He told her. "You look exhausted."

"I'm fine, I slept…" She started to say, before thinking hard about it. She just shook her head. "God, I haven't slept in two days."

"Then get some rest." Charles told her, pulling out his sawn-off. "I'll keep watch for a while. I'll wake John in a couple of hours to take the rest of the night."

"Alright." Sadie responded, finishing off her coffee, before lying down on her bedroll and wrapping herself tightly in the blanket. It took her a while to drift off, her mind still swirling with a thousand or more thoughts, but eventually, she let two day's exhaustion overtake her. This was it, one more and it was all over. She wanted to be at her very best so she would be able to savour the moment when she stood over Micah's corpse.

The morning came, and Sadie needed to blink a few times to adjust to the light. It was bright, painfully so! It looked like Mount Hagan decided to have a clear day for once. No snow storm, no mist, nothing. The sun coming down reflected off the bright, virgin snow making it all the brighter. It looked like Mother Nature had provided a good day for visibility, letting them see for miles in all directions. The only unfortunate thing was, if they could see, then so could Micah's boys.

"Fine day for a killin'." John said. Sadie had to do a double-take.

"What'd you say?" She asked. It was eerie. Arthur had said the exact same thing before Hanging Dog Ranch. She had to check to see that it was John and not Arthur.

"I said fine day for a killin'." John reiterated. "No wind to speak of. No mist, no snow…"

"That's not necessarily a good thing." Charles reminded them. "If we can see them, they'll be able to see us, and they've got the high ground and all the cover they could ever want."

"You expected this to be easy?" John asked.

"With Micah Bell, the only thing that comes easy is hatin' 'im." Sadie remarked.

"Ain't that the truth." Charles agreed as they all mounted up. "Alright, let's get this thing moving. Sooner Micah's dead, the better for everyone."

The rest of the way through the mountain path, there was barely a word spoken between them. They all had their own thoughts on what lay ahead for them. For John, it was Abigail and Jack, waiting back home on the farm for him. He had come with Sadie despite Abigail's pleas for him to stay, to just accept the gift that Arthur had given them and let Micah go to his own fate. Arthur was like a brother to John, and although he'd never talk about it, she felt in her heart that it still haunted him that he wasn't there at the end.

Charles had his tribe. It still tickled her to call it that. His tribe. He, like all of them had been looking for a family, looking for somewhere he belonged all along, and in the midst of all the shit and hellfire, he'd found it. She could imagine him going back to Canada as a hero, leading his people until a good, ripe age, teaching a whole new generation of their ways. It was quite something to her that the country she lived in professed to be the land where anyone could be anything they wanted, yet people like Charles were never accepted in most of the settlements, yet the Lakota, who had no blood connection to him at all, had valued him so much they had even decided to name him as the man they wanted to lead them into their future.

"We all ready?" Charles asked them. "This pass will take us into the high mountains."

"Lead the way." Sadie beckoned him, at which he started to ride ahead. There were few better riders she'd ever met than Charles. He probably could have found his way through a damn blizzard to the mountaintop by himself.

"There's an old watchtower up there they might be using for a camp." Charles explained, looking around the terrain. Most of the mountaintop mines had those. It was a way of being able to keep an eye out for any workers or riders that got lost going to or from the camps. Now though, it would be a good vantage point for someone to keep an eye on the roads coming up the mountain for anyone that didn't look familiar to the gang.

They kept pushing up, riding quickly. They knew it wouldn't be long before they were seen, so they needed to close ground as quickly as possible. If they had rifles, which she was sure Micah would have thought of, then the last thing they wanted was to be caught in a firefight where they could pick shots at ease while Sadie, John and Charles were struggling to even get a shot up at them. She was actually a little surprised they'd gotten this far up without any sign of resistance.

Then she heard it. A loud crack split the air. Charles let out a pained scream, clutching at his arm, before sliding from the saddle, landing on the ground with a thud. Instinctively, he rolled with the momentum, carrying him into some rocks. Sadie and John knew immediately the game was up, and the fight had come to them.

"CHARLES!" She screamed, seeing him tumbling out of view. She and John leapt off their horses, scurrying into cover as more shots rained down at them. "There must be a sniper, get in cover, quick!"

"You alive Charles?" John shouted as he prepared his rifle. Sadie got her repeater ready, but she knew that optimistic wasn't exactly the right word for attempting a shot from here with that thing. If anyone was going to get the shot, it was John. She started counting shots from the volley.

"Just about!" Charles called back. She breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to hear his voice. She'd thought she saw him take it in the arm, but she couldn't be sure. She heard a space after a volley, the man was reloading…five rounds. Five shots, probably a bolt-action rifle. John clearly heard the same thing and started running for the next rock up the mountain.

"John, be careful!" She beckoned him, becoming painfully aware once more how tough the task ahead of them was. She didn't know how she'd be able to face Abigail to explain to her if anything happened to John. She threw herself behind a rock, squinting as she tried to look up the side of the mountain. "Where is this bastard?"

There were some more shots, following which they ran another few feet, diving for cover before he could resume firing. This time, Sadie saw a muzzle flash. It was faint, but she could see it, just under a tree at the top of an overhang. She looked towards John, but he seemed to have noticed it too. His eyes were locked on his location. One more break in the volley, and they both ran up. John slid into cover, before getting to his knees. He rested his rifle atop the edge of the rock, pressing his eye to the scope.

"You can hit him from here can't you?" Sadie encouraged him. "Take the shot!"

John waited, picking his time, slowing his breath as he mentally tried to figure out the shot.

"You shot my friend, you son of a bitch!" John yelled, before squeezing the trigger. Sadie looked up in time to see a man in dark clothing falling from the overhang, his body shattering on the rocks far below.

"You got him! OK, let's go back to Charles!" She rushed out, before running back towards the last place she'd seen him. She searched around frantically, looking for any signs of him.

"No, no, no, please God, no…" She begged, before finally seeing movement. She ran over to the rocks, finding Charles there, already trying to bind his wound.

"Hey, you're OK!" She said, inwardly thanking any God that would listen. "You're OK."

"I will be." Charles grunted as he tightened up the dressing. "But you go on…go on now."

Sadie wanted to protest, but he just gestured wildly up the hill.

"Move fast, or they'll come down that hill and kill us all!" He insisted. She hated to leave him, she wanted to stay and cover him, but he was right. In the distance, she could already hear shouting, they were coming. The shots would most certainly have been heard, and God knew how many bastards were coming their way. She prepared her revolver.

"Come on, John." She ordered him.

"I don't want to leave him." John replied. Sadie didn't want to either, she wanted to agree with John, but it was Charles who convinced her that wasn't going to work. He shoved John onward.

"Hey…they know we're comin' now!" Charles panted. "I'll be fine. I'll follow you up, I just can't move fast."

"OK." John replied reluctantly, pulling out Arthur's revolvers. He and Sadie both turned their attention up the mountain and started to sprint upwards, just as they saw the first of Micah's boys coming down towards them.


	68. For Whom the Bell Tolls

Bullets whizzed through the cold, crisp air of Mount Hagan as John and Sadie pushed up the mountain. Simply climbing it would have been difficult enough with horses. Without them, the snow shifted underfoot until it compacted enough to get a decent foot hold and driving up the steep incline against snow that at time got as high as their shins was sapping their strength every step of the way. Add to that the seemingly endless army of scum that Micah seemed to have accumulated on his travels, and it was a task that would have seemed impossible to anyone. Of course, for John and Sadie, this was the culmination of a hatred that had burned for almost a decade.

Sadie blasted one of Micah's guys as he struggled with a shotgun, taking the top of his skull off with a split-point round. Javier had taught her early on that split-point rounds were a cheap way to get highly damaging ammunition. The guy rolled down towards her, giving her the opportunity to use his corpse for a solid foothold on her next step. He looked young, probably not much more than a kid, and he had a military jacket under his duster. Possibly he'd been a deserter. Word going around was that Micah wasn't hugely picky about who he rode with these days. All he wanted in his gang were a disregard for other people that rivalled his own, and a lust for riches. It attracted a lot of people, and the kind of people it appealed to were some of the worst she'd ever seen.

"How many of these sons of bitches are there?" John asked, gunning down a couple who were trying to get down towards them, but came afoul of the unsure footing, sliding and becoming unbalanced. John wasn't going to give them the chance to correct that mistake.

"From what I understand he's recruitin' any bastard that want money and don't care who he kills to get it." Sadie yelled back at him.

"Maybe we should have thought longer about a quiet approach." John said, somewhat redundantly, starting to reload as Sadie covered him. They didn't even need to speak to co-ordinate. They'd fought together enough times to know how to stagger their shooting. Arthur had once taught Sadie about a time when single-round muskets and rifles were still common, how people would set up a volley system, with some firing while others reloaded, before switching positions in order to keep up a steady firing rate. It was less of an issue with modern guns with higher breach capacities. Sadie had a repeater that could fire 16 rounds before it needed to be reloaded, but it was still a principle that the gang had practiced, just one of the secrets to their success.

"And miss all this?" Sadie asked in response, firing off her last few rounds into the men coming down the mountain towards her. "Don't worry John, I've been readin' a whole lot about their jobs. Believe me, every one of them dead is a good thing. A whole lot of people would thank us!"

John ran up from behind, beginning to fire at those ahead of them, while Sadie took the turn to reload. She kept driving up after him, her breath now visible. She stumbled a little, but managed to regain her footing.

"There's a camp just up here." John called out.

"Nah, that's too small." Sadie assured him. "Micah's a chicken shit. He ain't gonna be anywhere he's not surrounded by walls and about twenty guys."

John seemed to concur, tossing a stick of dynamite toward the camp. Sadie by now had reloaded and was ready to fire again, veering left to where more men were coming down the path. The dynamite went off, accompanied by screams.

"We keep climbing until we see him!" She called out. "Find that tower Charles was talkin' about."

She remembered the last time she met Micah, tucked nice and comfortable in Fort Mercer. She didn't know if he was just always a coward, or if he'd just grown accustomed to creature comforts and a feeling of security, but he'd told her himself he had left Fort Mercer because she had destroyed the door, leaving a vulnerability in it. It was still a fort with thick walls and a small army of Del Lobos and even artillery, but that wasn't enough for Micah. No, the minute Charles mentioned the tower, she could just see him up there, cowering away while he threw his followers down at them.

"Okay." He replied, looking around him. Directly ahead and to their right were cliffs, which didn't leave them many options. He pointed up the path to the left. It was both good and bad that their paths were limited. It meant they only had one direction to worry about new reinforcements from, but on the other hand, it also meant that everything Micah had was going to come at them from that path like an avalanche.

"Air's getting' real thin now." Sadie panted, gripping some rocks to help steady herself as she hit a steep section. "Come on, let's go!"

It didn't take long for them to run into more of Micah's goons. They seemed to be popping up out of the snow like the first spring plants back on her old homestead. It only confirmed to them that they were heading the right way.

"Micah Bell, we're comin' for ya!" Sadie snarled as she drove upwards, catching onto a more level footing, gunning down more of his men. Even though they were miles from anywhere, even though it had been years since he had abandoned her to her fate in New Austin, she could swear she could smell Micah. The hairs on her arms and her neck stood up, sensing that he wasn't far from here. She sprinted onwards, ventilating a guy that popped out from behind a tree to get in her way as she went.

"SADIE! Look out!" John yelled. His voice sounded distant; a lot more distant than she had anticipated. She was sprinting ahead, eager to get to Micah, so much so that John was lagging behind. She could hear his shots, and saw a man tumbling from some rocks a little way from her.

"I can handle it!" She insisted, emptying out some shells and reloading on the run. She was looking around for new targets, hoping to get her revolvers reloaded before anyone came. Then she heard a yell, and without knowing what happened, a heavy weight slammed into her, dragging her to the ground.

She was pinned down, and could feel a heavy coat and clothing, letting her know it was a man that had hit her. He must have leapt from one of the rock faces. How had she missed him? She started to struggle, trying to get him off her, as he got up, hauling her to her feet, one of his arms wrapped around her neck.

"SADIE!" John yelled. "Get your hands off her!"

She heard the sound of fists connecting with a skull, and since no one was hitting her, and she was too busy trying to get the bastard to stop squeezing the life out her, she knew she wasn't hitting anyone. One of the others must have gotten to John. She managed to get enough room to bite into the man's hand, ripping a chunk from it. As he let go, she looked, seeing one of her revolvers in the snow a short distance from her. She lunged to get it, only for the man to grab her arm, pulling her back. She felt a punch in the stomach, but it didn't take long for her to realise that it wasn't just a punch. She cried out, and reached down, finding the man's hand was holding something, something that was now buried deep in her stomach. A shot rang out and he fell away, allowing Sadie to see what had happened. The handle of a knife was now sticking out of her. Her body didn't even really register much else. Blood was seeping through her clothing. She started to feel sick, coughing, retching. She looked up to see Charles, dragging himself up, his sawn-off shotgun still smoking.

Sadie gripped the knife in both hands. The damn thing felt like it was welded in there. It took all the strength she had to pull it out. She fell to her knees, Charles coming up to her as John finally finished pounding the face of his opponent into something that resembled a pound of finest ground steak. He panted breathlessly as he looked to her.

"You alright?" He asked her. Sadie just looked at him. Had he really just asked her that? She could only look at the blood-stained knife a little way from her as she clutched her stomach.

"Just fine." She replied, not even really able to muster up the sarcasm his question deserved.

"You don't look too fine." He replied as he and Charles helped her up. "Come on. You're bleedin' pretty bad."

Of course, she was, she knew that. However, they'd come this far already. She wasn't going to turn back now, even if she had to pull her own entrails from her gut and strangle Micah to death with them. She was so close now that there was no way she was going to give Micah the chance to run again. It had taken years for her to find him after New Austin, and while she'd gladly chase him for the rest of their days, she didn't know when she'd get another opportunity like this.

"Ain't nothin'." She lied in a manner that was so unconvincing even she couldn't will herself to believe it.

"You should sit down."

"I'm fine…"

"You're dyin'!" John said rather bluntly, as he rested her against some rocks. "Just…sit, OK?"

"I ain't dyin, I ain't!" She growled, gritting her teeth as Charles came to her, setting down his bag and beginning to look out supplies.

"I hope not." John told her.

"I ain't dyin' I just…go get him!" She instructed him. John looked to her, and then to Charles.

"Charles, you stay with her!" John called out to him as he looked up the mountain, retrieving his revolvers. Charles started to unpack some dressings.

"Charles, you just worry about yourself." She told him. Charles just looked to her. "I'll be up there in a minute!"

She tried to get off the rocks, but she slipped straight back down. Charles handed her a bottle.

"What the hell is this?" She asked.

"It's for the pain." He told her. "It's the strongest thing I've got, so only a sip, no more."

Sadie sipped from the bottle, getting a warm sensation running through her. Charles opened her waistcoat and pulled up her shirt, before starting to bind her up tightly.

"Jesus, you tryin' to cut me in half?" Sadie asked him.

"I'm trying to stop you bleeding to death until we can get you to a real doctor!" Charles told her flatly. Sadie positioned herself to make it easier for him to wrap the dressing around her. He worked quickly to bind her up, so that she could start to pull her clothing around her again for warmth. They heard three rounds, and both paused.

"That was Joe!" John yelled back at them. "We gotta be close!"

The point wasn't lost on Sadie. Joe was now Micah's right-hand. Both he and Cleet had been running with him for years. If he was there, then Micah couldn't be far away.

Sadie tried to pull herself up as they heard more gunshots. Charles grabbed her.

"Charles, let go!" She yelled at him.

"John's one of the best guns I've ever seen, he'll be fine." Charles told her.

"But…"

"No, no buts! He'll be fine!" Charles assured her. He pointed towards the cliff face. "The watchtower I told you about, it's over that way. The path John's on loops around the side of this mountain and back up the back way."

"Charles, he's…"

"Look, I'd do it myself if it wasn't for my arm!" He told her. "But if you both go that way, then Micah will see you coming and prepare. If one of you can go this way, maybe you can catch him from two directions at once."

"Charles…" Her words tailed off as he grabbed her, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I know I can't stop you, so I guess the only thing I can do is support you." He told her, standing with his back to the rock face. He cupped his hands before him. "In the best way I can."

Sadie nodded in understanding. Resting a foot in his hands, she boosted upwards, onto the rocks, and started to climb.

Sadie didn't know what was worse, the pain in her stomach, the cold, the rocks digging into her hands, or the sounds of gunfire echoing through the mountains, with her unable to see John or know how he was doing. She agreed with Charles that he was capable, but even the best had limits. She stumbled a little as she started to clamber over the rocks, a quick glance down as her feet dangled hundreds of feet off the ground reminding her to keep her mind on what she was doing. As the shots kept coming, she could only hope that it meant John was still alive. After all, if the guns stopped, that meant the fight was over.

She hauled herself up, and manged to get to a precipice, looking out over the mountains. There, sure enough, was the watchtower that Charles had told them about. It had a camp out the front, one that looked like it had been home to a good number of boys, given the fire and the provisions littered around. The tower itself was near the edge, giving it a good, commanding look over the surrounding mountains. This was the place alright; Micah was here, she could feel it in her gut…well…what was left of it at least.

The tower was on a cliff edge, surrounded on three sides by a sharp drop over the rockface. There was only one path in and out, and that was the path John would have to take. She started to look for a path to bring her around the other side, to loop around behind the watch tower. Her arms and legs burned, straining with every move. It took every ounce of her will to keep going, to grip onto the cliff face as she worked around towards it. However, nothing was going to deny her. The gunfire stopped, and she froze. A few moments later, she saw a figure running down the path. Her heard lifted and she smiled. Even from here, she could see it was John.

"Son of a bitch did it!" She murmured to herself, before continuing on her route around the cliffs.

"MICAH!" John yelled as he came towards the watchtower. "Micah, if you're here, come out!"

"Hello, Scarface." Micah greeted him, the door to the watchtower closing behind him. Sadie almost fell off the cliff right there. This was it! He was here! She'd recognise that voice anywhere. She'd heard it in her dreams every night since Arthur died. "Did you miss me?"

Sadie composed herself and kept working around.

"Not much." John responded.

"Been a few years." Micah carried on. She heard some quick footsteps, but no gunshots, before Micah started laughing. "How's that…whore of yours?"

'That's it, keep him talkin'.' Sadie thought as she carried on. The son of a bitch never could resist talking. He was always working everyone's last nerve. It might give her the time she needed.

"She's good." John told him. "Didn't reckon I should waste my time killin' ya. But I felt different."

"Seems so." Micah, chuckled. She could almost see the smug smirk on his face. She was confident in John, but she'd learned to her cost how fast Micah was. As much as she hated the son of a bitch, she would never deny the fact there was a reason he'd gotten as far as he had. He was every bit as deadly as any of Dutch's top guns. "Well, maybe after all this is over, I'll pay her a call. And the boy."

"Whatever you say!" John rushed out. Very quickly their words were followed by gunshots. It didn't surprise her in the slightest that the suggestion he might go after Abigail and Jack was enough to get John to draw.

She was close now, she had worked all the way around, and was now only a few feet from a good handhold that would let her haul her way up.

"I got more men comin' John!" Micah taunted him. "You should run away."

"I look forward to meetin' them!" John replied. Either he didn't believe Micah had any more boys, or he was so enraged that he'd threatened his family that he wasn't going to leave Micah alive now. Either was possible.

"You should run away while…OH SHIT!" Micah yelled, before Sadie heard fast footsteps. The cliff shook, almost shaking her off as a blast went off. Dynamite! John had kept some to flush him from cover. She managed to scramble back into a good position, and haul herself up onto the ledge, right behind the watch tower. She heard a distinctive hissing and rolled right in behind it, bracing herself as another blast went off. She scrambled to her knees, then bracing against the watchtower, hauled herself to her feet. Her legs were shaky beneath her, and she clutched at her stomach to be able to stand upright. She pulled out one of her revolvers and prepared to make her move.

She peeked around the edge of the watchtower, seeing Micah and John exchanging shots. Perfect! Micah hadn't seen her! Charles had been right; this was the best way to end it.

"I'll make you rich! Real rich!" He shouted. Sadie could only imagine the look on his face. He'd tried threats, and that hadn't worked, now he was trying bargaining. As much as he liked to think of himself as some legend, in the end, he was going to be just like any other bastard she'd ever put down. She could only wonder if when he saw her, he'd beg and complete the trifecta.

She levelled her revolver his way and made her way out, while he was aiming at John. She cocked the hammer, preparing her shot. She was tempted to just pull the trigger, but she wanted him to know it was coming.

"Come on out, Micah!" She grunted out with as much authority as she could, given her injury. He looked her way, and she could see in his eyes he had been caught completely flat-footed. "At least die like a man!"

"Hellfire!" He chuckled, holding his guns up in a safe position, seemingly surrendering. Sadie didn't care. Within moments, he was going to be dead, but it had answered one question at least. He didn't seem to show any indication he was planning on begging. "It's just like old times."

"Come on." She wheezed, the weight of her gun starting to become an issue, she staggered into some logs, steadying herself against them. "Just turn around, and start walkin'!"

Micah marched out into the middle of the camp, Sadie pulling herself off the logs to get behind him. She shoved him roughly, digging her gun into his back.

"You got me!" He insisted. He started to put his revolvers away back in his holsters. "Just like old times, hm? All manner of folk payin' social calls."

Sadie furrowed her brows. What did he mean by that? What did he have up his sleeve? They were answered as the door to the watchtower flew open.

"Hello son!" Dutch greeted them, marching out, a revolver in each hand. Son of a bitch! That was why she couldn't find him in Pleasance! He didn't want Sadie to find Micah, to do his dirty work for him, he wanted her to find him so that he could join him! She'd thought that Dutch wanted her to find and kill Micah, to do his dirty work for him, but he must have been tailing her until he figured out roughly where he was so he could use his own contacts to find him. Dutch had all but dropped off the grid over the last couple of years, only doing the odd job here or there to keep himself afloat. Without a crew he was a shadow of his former self. Whatever his feelings for Micah when he killed Arthur, it looked like they'd been eroded by years of having to fend for himself. He'd played her! He looked straight at her, the side of his mouth curling upwards, almost into a smirk, confirming what she thought. "Mrs Adler. Been quite a while!"

The distraction was all Micah needed. He swung around, swiping the revolver from Sadie's hand, before grabbing her and wrestling her to the ground. John couldn't get a clear shot, and had to keep an eye on Dutch too. Micah grabbed Sadie around the throat, dragging her to her feet and pulled out one of his revolvers. John was now left with both men aiming at him.

"John! Now…what were you sayin'?" Micah gloated arrogantly. John started switching his aim between both Dutch and Micah. There was no way he was going to shoot both of them before one of them got a shot off. He looked to Dutch in confusion.

"What're you doin' here Dutch?" John asked him.

"Same as you, I suppose." Dutch answered. The bastard couldn't even give a straight answer now, all these years later, when it was clear he'd sold them out.

"Dutch and I are teamin' up once more!" Micah said cheerfully. "We got money. We got dreams. Join us, John, join us!"

Sadie didn't know if Micah honestly believed John would take the offer seriously. She didn't know if he had any intention of honouring it, or if he just wanted John to lower his gun so they could take him out. John was at least fast enough to get one of them.

"Let her go!" John snapped. Sadie could see the thought in his face. He was trying to figure out if he could make the shot. Although he probably could, with her in the way, it was still a risk. The guilt started to seize her now. This was her fault; she'd brought him here. If he shot Micah, then Dutch would kill him. If he shot Dutch, Micah would kill him. If he put down the gun…Sadie was sure they'd quickly figure out John would never join them again and they'd kill him. It was Bullard all over again, only this time it was with someone she loved. A tear started to roll down her face as she realised, she'd sealed his fate.

"Now, I can't do that John!" Micah chuckled. John looked to Dutch.

"Dutch…Dutch, come on now!" He begged him. Dutch stared at him with a steely gaze.

"You shot at me, Son." He reminded him.

"You started it!" John responded.

"You betrayed me!" Dutch hissed.

"I could say the same as you!" John replied, his hand shaking a little as he confronted him. A pained expression crossed his face. Even now, even all these years later, the betrayal still hurt him deeply.

"I was trying to do my best." Dutch explained, slipping back into his honeyed tones that he used for spinning the bullshit that had led them all to him. "You…you just cared about yourself."

"I think differently." John answered him. Sadie struggled, only to be cuffed back into compliance with a squeeze from Micah's arm on her throat, choking her.

"Join us, John, join us!" Micah repeated his offer.

"Let her go! She ain't well!" John yelled at Micah, pointing the revolver his way, looking like he was contemplating taking the shot. Sadie knew it didn't matter if he did take the shot. Dutch would kill John, and then kill her into the bargain.

"I don't wanna kill you, John." Micah tried to reassure him. However, Sadie knew that nothing Micah said could be trusted, and so did John. The only thing keeping him alive this long was the fact he was still holding the gun, and the threat of either Micah or Dutch being killed before he went down. John narrowed his eyes.

"Arthur saved my life, more than once!" John declared. Sadie knew the end was coming soon. John was now confirming why he was there, confirming that he wasn't going to let it go now. Sadie felt Micah snort in derision.

"Arthur's been dead a long time! This is a new century!" He ranted. Sadie could feel him getting warmer, and feel his breath growing rapid against his ear. Even now, years later, Arthur still got to him. He wasn't man enough to kill him then, and he knew that Arthur was more than a hundred times the man he'd ever be. John looked back to Dutch.

"Dutch…Dutch…we all did our best for you." John said to him, sniffing a little. "It's not our fault things turned out the way they did."

He gulped, and started to tighten his grip on his revolver.

"Dutch, killin' me won't solve nothing!" John told him.

"Put down your gun Marston!" Micah yelled, becoming agitated. All the talk of Arthur had gotten to him. His usual smug confidence was giving way to a frenzied, panicked anger.

"Say something Dutch!" John beckoned him. Dutch just looked to him, his eyes growing narrow and focused. "Say something!"

"I ain't…got too much to say no more." Dutch said in an eerie, chilling whisper. He lifted his second revolver and pulled the trigger. Sadie fell to the ground, gasping for breath as Micah staggered away from her. She just looked up in shock. Dutch had shot Micah!

Dutch just looked at Micah with disdain as he holstered his revolvers. Micah's hand was clenched over his chest. He pulled it away, looking at the blood, and started laughing.

"You shot me." He said, a little bit of a rattle in his voice from the injury. He started laughing, like he'd finally gotten the punchline to the joke, realising that it was him that Dutch had played. "You shot me pretty good!"

In his final act of defiance, he went for his revolvers. John rattled off all six of his rounds, straight into his chest. Micah dropped his revolvers, and started to stagger away, before lifting his hands in almost a gesture of disbelief, before flopping face-first to the ground.

Sadie wasn't leaving anything to chance. She crawled over to him, checking his neck. She felt his pulse, weak, and getting weaker, she pulled in closer, her face almost touching his, just so she could feel his last breath.

"That's for Arthur you son of a bitch!" She whispered in his ear, hoping that would be the last thing he'd hear, to carry with him straight to Hell.

"Thank you!" John said, causing Sadie to look around, realising that Dutch was still there. She stared at him. "I…"

Dutch didn't say another word, instead walking away, quickly disappearing from sight. Sadie finally rolled off Micah, flopping back-first to the ground. A smile crossed her face. Eight years, eight long years, and finally it was over. Micah Bell was dead.

"You OK?" John asked her as he came over.

"Fine." She grunted.

"You're crazy!" John laughed as he looked to her.

"I hope so!" She laughed in response. "Help me up!"

"Let's go get Charles." John told her.

"There's money." Sadie said to him. John just looked at her. It hadn't dawned on him that the gang's loot had been left behind. They'd killed Micah's whole crew as far as they knew, and Dutch had just disappeared. None of them were going to need it, and Sadie figured that since this was pretty much her last hurrah as a bounty hunter, it wasn't really her concern what happened to it. "Lots of money…in the cabin…Blackwater…"

"I'll go see." John told her.

"Hurry up." She responded. "I've got a wedding I wanna go to!"

John headed into the cabin to have a look. Sadie leaned against the cabin, before hearing something a little way off. She looked up, smiling to see Charles coming, and he was bringing the horses with him. It looked like he'd rounded them up.

"So, it's over?" He asked. Sadie just looked towards Micah's corpse. Charles just followed her gaze to it.

"Yeah…it's over." She answered.

Just then, John came out of the cabin, carrying a very heavy looking saddlebag. He had a huge smile on his face, and was letting out a bit of a nervous laugh.

"You got it then?" Sadie asked.

"Charles…I'm glad you brought the horses!" John responded, shaking the bag, which let out a weighty jangle. "But…you might want to see if these bastards had more around here."

Both Charles and Sadie looked to each other, before running to the door of the watchtower. They both marvelled at what they saw inside.

"My God." Was all Sadie could manage to get out.

"I'll…I'll go get those horses." Charles stammered. Sadie just looked to John and smiled.

"Well, it looks like Micah gave you a weddin' gift." She responded. "I think we can safely say your problems with the bank are over."

"And then some." John chuckled. With that, they both went in to start bundling up the loot.


	69. Waste Not Want Not

It took five horses in total to load up all the loot from Mount Hagan. Sadie didn't know if all of it was the leftover loot from the Blackwater job or if it was also the proceeds of Micah's more recent crimes, likely it was a combination of both, but now that Micah was dead, it really was kind of a moot point, and leaving it up in the mountains didn't do anyone any good. Charles had roped up three to his own horse, all laden with gold and money bundled up in any kind of bags or sheets he could find. His saddle bags and John's were also fully laden. Sadie had to share the back of John's horse for the ride home.

Sadie was weak, and knew that she needed a doctor badly. Although there was a clinic in Strawberry, the fact she had been seen only a day before shooting Cleet likely meant that by now there would be law in the area. It was doubtful anyone particularly cared about Cleet being killed, he had a price on his head after all, but it was best not to show up just in case anyone started asking too many questions. She was close to the fruition of her plan. Now that Micah was gone, all she had to do was heal up enough to give Levin the last chapters of his book, then get the hell out of America for good.

They'd ended up leaving Micah at the top of the mountain. There was a part of her, the professional in her, that was a little put out at the thought of leaving a six thousand dollar bounty just lying in the mountains to be a feast for whatever scavengers came upon him, but the horses were already so laden that there really wasn't any need to bring him along. They already had his bounty a bunch of times over on the horses.

The ride back was long, and even when she got out of the mountains, she felt cold and weak. The wound in her stomach had been bound, hit it would need something a lot better than that to fix her up properly. By the time they got to Beacher's Hope, the heat and the haze playing with her vision almost made her wonder if she was on her way to the afterlife. The familiar farmhouse was just coming into view, and they could see people outside. One of them jerked up seeing them.

"Jack, Uncle, come out here!" Abigail called out. They all ran out to meet them. The joy in her voice was obvious. Sadie couldn't help smiling to see her running towards John, tears streaming down her face, eager to greet him. She was sure that John would have Hell to pay later for going against Abigail's wishes and going after Micah, but for now, all that mattered was relief to see him back, and joy that he had returned to her alive. John came down off the horse, being careful not to unseat Sadie.

"It's over Abigail." He assured her as they embraced. "It's all over."

Sadie slid off the horse, needing to use it to steady herself as she landed. She'd only just come off a horse, but in her current state, she felt like she'd just leapt off the top of Mount Hagan. Abigail saw her, and her injuries. Her clothes were pretty heavily bloodstained. She looked worried, but she grabbed Sadie and hugged her first, a wordless thank you for bringing her husband back alive. She was sure that once she wasn't bleeding to death, Abigail would probably have a few choice words for her about putting him in danger in the first place, but as Abigail parted from her, she gestured to the house. "Come on, let's get you inside…"

"She needs a doctor!" Charles said flatly, unhitching the other horses from his own and tossing the roll on the back of his off to lighten his load. There were a few wide-eyed stares as they saw gold and cash fall all over the ground, way more than any of them had ever seen. "I'm heading to Blackwater; I'll bring him out here."

"We'll tend to her until you get back." John assured him. Charles turned and rode off as quickly as he could. Uncle was pretty quick to go over to the abandoned loot.

"What the hell is all this?" Uncle asked him. Sadie just smiled.

"That's your mortgage." She answered. "And your cattle…and a hell of a lot of grain for the silo."

Her knees suddenly collapsed under her. John held onto her tightly. She could hear yelling, but by now it all sounded so distant, she couldn't tell what anyone was saying. Everything faded to black.

She wakened up a little while later, inside the Marston house, lying in a comfortable bed, covered with blankets. She still felt sore, but she was a little surprised that she had even woken up. She could see a man she didn't know sitting by her bed, finishing up his examination.

"You've been a very lucky woman, Mrs Adler." He told her.

"If you say so." She muttered.

"If your friend had gotten me here even half an hour later, I don't think we'd be having this conversation." He responded honestly. "I've managed to get you stitched up, but I wouldn't even think about getting out of that bed for at least a week."

"I don't reckon that's gonna be too much of a problem doc." She groaned. He just smiled.

"Well, your friends have assured me they'll take good care of you." He told her. "Now, you get some rest."

He headed out of the door, at which John and Charles came in. Charles sat by her side, while John took a seat, taking her hand.

"You gave us all quite a scare." John told her. "You've been out for a whole day."

"The doctor wasn't sure you were going to make it at some points." Charles admitted. "But we all knew that you were too stubborn to let something like this be the end of you."

"I ain't too sure about that." She laughed, instantly regretting it as a searing pain in her stomach reminded her of her injuries. John caught her attention.

"The money, there was a whole lot." He told her. "I've split it three ways…"

"John, that ain't necessary." She started to say, but he waved her off.

"Sadie, it's only right." He put down flatly. "We all went up that mountain."

"But that money was for you, for this place…"

"Sadie, I don't think you realise how much we had." John chuckled, looking to Charles. "I walked into the bank and cleared my marker. You should have seen the manager's face when I put the cash down on his desk. He looked like he was gonna drop dead of shock right there in his chair. But even after that and buyin' cattle, there's still plenty, and that's just my share."

Sadie looked to Charles, who just nodded to confirm the detail.

"When I head back to Canada, that money's going to do a lot of good." Charles stated. "They're on good land now, but there's always things that can be improved."

"And I'm sure you could always use a little starting up money for your business, or finding that handsome revolutionary." John commented as he looked to her. "But first, you just stay there, just as long as you need. You're not going anywhere until you're ready."

He pulled a little closer.

"And after a little contribution to the church plate, the minister were real understanding. He'll come out here whenever you're ready for the wedding."

"Wedding?" She laughed, again hurting herself. "Who am I marryin'?"

"Abigail and I talked, and we've waited this long. We're happy to wait until you're on your feet." He told her. Abigail just smiled.

"You didn't have to do that." She replied.

"Well, no we didn't, but Abigail thought her Maid of Honour might like to be standin' for the ceremony instead of still in this bed." John answered. Sadie just nodded.

"Tell Abigail I'd be honoured to do it." She agreed.

"Alright, now we'll leave you to rest up a little." He told her. "Just holler if you need anything."

With that, they left the room, Charles stopping just inside the door. He looked at Sadie for a little while, not saying anything, before adjusting the lantern, dimming the light so that she could get some more rest. Sadie just lay back, pulling the covers around herself.

The rest of the week moved pretty quickly. Never the kind to lie down for too long, Sadie was already trying to get back on her feet to move things along so that John and Abigail could finally have their wedding. She wasn't much the sort for dresses, but she did figure that if she was going to be the Maid of Honour, then a visit to the tailor was really the least she could do for the proceedings.

In the time she had, she kept herself busy, writing down the events of the last couple of days. She'd promised Levin an ending to his story, and while he was on the strict understanding to suitably alter it to keep John's involvement in the whole affair out of the book, she really didn't know how else to write it other than to write what she knew. She had never written much before in her life. She'd never even really kept a journal, that was more Arthur's thing than hers. The most she'd written was a list of supplies she and Jake would need for the winter, perhaps even some letters from time to time, but certainly never her own story. She'd always been more the kind of person that viewed the past as something that she remembered in her head, and if it didn't come out of her skull for some reason, there was probably a damn good reason it went inside that strange, messed up brain of hers to die a lonely death.

In that week though, any time she wasn't eating or sleeping, she was writing, ensuring Levin would have enough to finish his book. She rattled through page after page, paying Jack to run out for more paper and take the pages to the post office, addressed to Levin. She was sure he'd probably be in Blackwater as they agreed, but if not, then he'd be able to pick them up sooner or later.

By the time the week had passed, she even felt strong enough for a short trip into Blackwater with Abigail to get a dress for the occasion. She wasn't much for dresses, but she felt like she needed to make the effort as her Maid of Honour, and given the size of her share of the loot, she really didn't think buying one dress was too out of the question.

She was standing, looking at her new outfit in the mirror as Abigail was fitted for her dress. The last time she could remember wearing anything like this was back when she was still borrowing Tilly's clothes after her homestead burned down. Her stomach still hurt like hell, but she was on her own two feet, and that was good enough for just now at least. Abigail looked to her, taking some amusement in her discomfort.

"I thought Jack looked uncomfortable when he was getting his suit." Abigail chuckled at her.

"Yeah, this sure don't feel much like me." Sadie sighed, looking at her outfit. "I guess I've been wearin' chaps and coats for so long I don't know what it feels like to wear this stuff anymore."

"Well, you look real nice." Abigail told her. "Maybe it could be a new style for you."

"No offence Abigail, but I really don't think that's likely." She answered honestly. She saw Abigail looking to a mirror, a slightly distant look in her face. "You alright?"

"It's just…this…all this." She stated, turning to look at Sadie. "John and I, we've been together for so long, but everything that's happening…it's everything I dreamed it would be, but I never thought it would actually happen."

Sadie came over to her, taking Abigail's hands in her own. She looked her straight in the eyes.

"Abigail Roberts, there ain't a whole lot I'm sure of in this world." She began to tell her, thinking back. "But as long as I've known you and John, I always knew that the two of you were made for each other. I lost everythin' on that God forsaken mountain, but I could just tell, you and John…you have what Jake and I did. And there's no one that deserves it more."

Abigail looked like she wanted to say something, but found herself unable to. Instead, she just pulled Sadie in and hugged her tightly.

The wedding was a very simple affair. It wasn't at all uncommon for weddings at the time to be very small affairs with only a few people in attendance. People were still immigrating to the country, others were still travelling the country, striking out to claim a little piece of it for themselves. It wasn't uncommon for people to have weddings where only they, the minister and the couple of required witnesses were in attendance. Rather than traipse all the way into town, they had the minister ride out to the farm to marry them there.

It was a beautiful day, with the weather holding out for them, almost like someone had been able to plan it. Neither John nor Abigail were hugely religious, so it was more a case for them of exchanging the vows and signing the register. They'd been together for so long that they'd been married in all but name since before Sadie had met them.

Jack was standing by with the rings. John had opted for him for that duty. Jack was quickly becoming a man, and John had felt like he wanted him to be a part of the proceedings, perhaps in his way, trying to make amends for the fact he knew he still had a lot to learn about being a father, particularly to a man that was so unlike him. But the pride positively radiated from John as Jack stepped up when he was called, presenting the rings.

Charles was happy, normally a rather staid and stoic man, he smiled the kind of bright smile that Sadie was unsure wouldn't blind someone if they looked straight at it like the sun. Seeing his massive frame in a tailored suit was quite something to see, but then again, she had seen Bill in a suit once, before the Saint Denis bank job and Charles definitely looked better in it. She looked over, seeing her looking at him, at which she smiled.

"And now, with the power invested in me, by the State, I pronounce you man and wife!" The minister declared. "It is now my great pleasure to present to you, Mr and Mrs John and Abigail Marston. You may now kiss the bride."

As John and Abigail came together in a loving embrace, some tears started to roll down Sadie's face as they applauded. She couldn't help thinking of her own wedding day, oh so long ago. John and Abigail looked just like her and Jake in that moment. Deeply in love, utterly devoted to each other, and with their whole lives ahead of them.

The small party extended long into the night. Uncle, for once, was doing something other than sitting on his ass drinking all the available liquor. He played the banjo from the first dance until long after the sun had gone down and Charles had to start a fire to allow them to keep things going.

Sadie had watched John and Abigail dance a few times, and had even joined in a short dance earlier before the minister left, but for the last few hours, she'd just sat and watched the rest of them. Charles was sitting a little way off, and kept looking towards her. Eventually, he took a long swig of whiskey, before heading her way, stopping to put the bottle down beside Uncle, and coming up to her. He offered her a hand.

"Mrs Adler, would you do me the honour?" He asked her. She just smiled and nodded, accepting his hand.

His hand completely enveloped hers, and while a little rough and calloused, much like her own, his grip was soft and warm. He slipped his other hand around her waist as she put her own behind his neck and they moved in time to the music.

"Why, Mr Smith, you are quite the dancer." She complimented him. He just laughed a little.

"Believe it or not, Uncle taught me." He told her. She furrowed her brows. "It's a…long story. There was a lot of whiskey involved."

"Now that sounds about right." She answered thoughtfully, looking into his eyes. Charles held her closely.

"I'm heading out tomorrow." He informed her. Sadie parted a little way from him, looking up at his face. She knew he was planning on leaving, he'd told them all as much before they rode up Mount Hagan, but for some reason she hadn't thought about it being so soon. "I'm catching a train up north, and then I'll ride across the border from there."

"You're going so soon?" She asked him. Charles just nodded.

"The tribe needs a leader." He told her. "I want to make sure Rains Fall gets to see his people are taken care of in the time he has left."

"I can't think of anyone better." She replied as she pulled into him, holding him closely. They danced in each other's arms for the remainder of the night, even after Uncle had stopped playing, being unable to resist the allure of the bottle of whiskey any longer.


	70. The Odyssey's End

The following day, Sadie got up a little bit before the sun came up. John was still waiting on most of his livestock, it took quite a while for people to drive cattle across the country, but he did have chickens…and he sure as shit had a rooster! At least, he would as long as the damn thing stopped crowing after the morning call since Sadie had taken the precaution of not keeping any of her guns near the bed.

She had heard John and Jack moving about. Uncle, to the surprise of no one, was still snoring away in his bed, and Abigail hadn't quite started making breakfast. Sadie had taken the time to write some letters. She had some shipping brochures, timetables indicating when she could catch the ship that would take her out of the country for good. She'd half thought of just saying her goodbyes and going, but Charles had told her that he was leaving today, and she did want to stay at least long enough to say her goodbyes to him before she made her way. She would, of course, say her goodbyes to John, Abigail, Jack and yes, even Uncle, but she was still turning over in her mind what exactly to tell them. They knew she planned to leave the country, but after that, she hadn't given them any details. She didn't want to burden them with the details that she intended to paint the bullseye for everything squarely on her own forehead and that once she left, it would be the last time they would see her. Arthur had done his part for them, and now that she had her payback, it was time for her to do her part.

The schedules had some very nice options. She didn't really know too much where she wanted to go, frankly anywhere that wasn't here was a good option, and once she had crossed the border out of the United States and beyond the law's reach, it really didn't matter to her. Anywhere was as good as anywhere else. She had considered Mexico, but the time she spent there with Landon Ricketts had reminded her entirely too much of New Austin, a place she'd be happy if she never saw again. She thought perhaps somewhere a little further out would be good.

There was now a ship that actually went to Guarma! Since the revolution, a rather nice way of saying when Arthur, Dutch, Bill, Javier and Micah had created merry hell, it had gotten a lot nicer and the people there were as free as anyone could be. However, she couldn't quite shake the image of some of the stories Arthur had told her and decided to give that a pass too. So, she was thinking primarily of South America. Most of the places there sounded like they'd make a good home, wherever she went she'd need to start from scratch, but with her share of the loot, that wasn't going to be too much of an issue.

She'd ended up making the choice by virtue of the boat that left first. There was one that left from Saint Denis in a few days, giving her time to pack up her belongings and have them taken by stage to the city ready to be loaded onto the ship. Four days…that was how long it would be. Four days, and she could leave this all behind for good. She wrote the letter to the harbour to book her voyage, and now that only left one loose end to tie up.

She did feel a little badly asking Levin to move once again, but since he liked Saint Denis, she doubted he'd mind too much going there to get the last of her story. He had already agreed that once she met him and finished his notes for his book, he would give her time to leave the country so that by the time the book hit the shelves, she would be long since gone.

She heard a knock on the door, and looked around to see John standing in the doorway.

"Sadie, it's time." He told her. She jerked his head in the direction of the letters. "Anything important?"

"Just bookin' my trip." She told him. "You can tell Jack he'll have his room back in a couple of days."

"He'll be glad to hear that." John chuckled. "You remember how Uncle snores."

She just smiled, before sealing the envelopes. She got up and followed John out of the house.

When they got there, Charles was finishing loading up the stage. Given the baggage he was carrying, he had also opted to use a slightly more modern method of travel than a horse. He had a hell of a lot more bags than when he arrived, and if any of the coachmen looked inside them, they'd be pretty shocked to say the least. When they split up the loot, they left the cash with John, so that Sadie and Charles would take their share in the gold. It weighed more, but once they got to their destination, they could trade it for local currency.

He went to his horse, whispering in its ears. He lowered his head, and tapped his hooves. Charles couldn't take the horse with him, and so he was leaving him behind. He handed the reins to Jack.

"You take care of him now." Charles told the young man. John had taught Jack to ride a pony, but he was starting to get bigger, and pretty soon he'd need a larger horse. Charles had always had a good eye for horses, picking good, strong steeds, so Jack would be getting a fine animal. "He's a proud beast. You treat him right, he'll always do right by you."

"I will, sir." Jack assured him. Charles ruffled his hair, before looking to Uncle. He shook his hand.

"You earn your keep." He told him, earning a bad-tempered snort from Uncle. It was a running joke. Uncle was bone-idle, and could spend a whole day without moving an inch, but they did know he had his uses. The farm was a testament to that. They literally couldn't have built the place without him. He went to Abigail next, hugging her.

"You two take care of each other." Charles said to them as he moved next to John, first shaking his hand, then hugging him tightly. "If you ever find yourself north of the border, ask after me. I'll make sure you're looked after."

"If we ever do end up there, I most certainly will." John assured him. "Presuming we don't all starve to death while I figure out this farmin' thing."

"You've got chickens and soon you'll have cows." Charles reminded him. "You won't go hungry with that."

He moved next towards Sadie, who just stood, looking at him for a bit. She just smiled a little.

"So, do I bow or what?" She joked, in reference to his new station. John and Abigail looked a little confused. Charles hadn't told them why he was leaving, they figured it was just that he felt it was time to go back home. Charles just smiled.

"I think this is good enough." He told her, pulling her in, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry I never said this the last time. Goodbye Mrs Adler."

Sadie looked to him as he parted from her. She didn't say anything in response, instead just nodding and patting him on the shoulder. There was a little bit of a lump in her throat, and she felt a tear rolling down her face, which she swept away.

Charles got into the stagecoach, closing the door behind him. With a crack of the whip, the coach rolled away. They all waved as it disappeared into the distance.

"I'm sure gonna miss him." Abigail sighed.

"You and me both." John responded. "Come on, Jack, let's get that new horse of yours used to you."

"How about you darlin'?" Abigail asked, looking to Sadie. She just wiped away another tear.

"I just…I need to go into town and run a little errand." She told her.

"Well, since you're going anyway, mind picking up some bread?" Abigail asked her. "I tried baking, but…it didn't quite work out."

"No problem." Sadie replied, getting on her horse and riding out.

The following day, it was Sadie's turn to say her goodbyes. She had mailed her letter to the harbour to book her passage, and she had put in a letter to Levin. She'd ridden past the saloon, knowing he liked to drink where he could watch people go by so that he could see her and know she had given him further instructions.

The stage was loading up her bags, once again, a surprising number and weight, but once she got to South America, she could trade in the gold for some good, local cash.

She was packing up the last of her belongings from her room, making sure she didn't leave anything behind. She wasn't overly sentimental, hell, she'd probably be abandoning most of her possessions and buying new once she got there, but she didn't want to risk leaving anything that might tie her to the farm. John stood in the doorway and just cleared his throat, catching her attention.

"It is dusty today." She joked.

"Very funny." He replied. "So, you got everything?"

"Looks like it." She answered. John just shook his head.

"Not quite." He told her. He reached behind the door, bringing out a large, wooden case. She watched as he put it on the bed, opening it up. Sadie held a hand over her mouth as she saw what was inside.

"John…that's…"

"Arthur's." He replied. There they were, all of Arthur's old guns, packed away, oiled and cleaned, ready for use.

"I…I…I can't…" She stammered.

"He'd want someone to get some use out of 'em." John told her. "And since I'm givin' this farming thing a go, and I feel like Abigail reckons they're just a temptation, I reckon you'd get more use out of 'em than I will."

"John, that's…those are…" She said, running her hands over them. Arthur had treated his guns very well in his time. They were all heavily customised and very ornate. "Those would probably be worth…"

"I wouldn't feel right sellin' 'em." John interrupted her. "And if you're gonna set up that business, or set up with that handsome revolutionary, I reckon they'd serve you real well."

Sadie picked up the Lichtfield Repeater, the one she'd given Arthur on the day they took Hanging Dog Ranch. It was engraved very ornately, inlaid with gold, and positively gleaming. She checked down the sights, cocking the mechanism. She just nodded, before putting it down. She went to John, hugging him tightly.

"I'll take real good care of 'em." She promised him. "Thank you, John."

John helped Sadie out with the last of her bags and the case, handing them to the coachmen who loaded them up. Sadie went to Jack, hugging him.

"You take real good care of your folks now, you hear." She told him. "And I expect to hear about you writin' those books. Don't you go takin' after your dad."

"Hey!" John chuckled. She just smiled at him and shook her head.

"I don't know…writin' stories…you think…?"

"Hey, if Mary-Beth can do it, I reckon you should be able to just fine." Sadie replied. "But…uh…maybe not the same KIND of books, because thinkin' of the kid that I once sat on my knee writin' about that stuff? I don't know if my brain could take that."

They all laughed at that. Sadie went to Uncle, hugging him.

"You old creep." She said affectionately. "You better see to it this one learns to be a real good farmer."

"With me at the helm, what could go wrong?" Uncle asked her.

"Yeah…best I don't answer that." Sadie replied. She went finally to Abigail. She looked into her eyes, taking Abigail's hands.

"You were always so kind to me. I don't think…no…I know…I'd not be around today if it weren't for you." Sadie told her. She embraced her warmly.

"You find a good life, you hear?" Abigail told her. Sadie didn't bother answering that. She didn't know what kind of life she was going to find. She climbed onto the coach, closing the door behind her, and settled in as it started to roll away.

A couple of days later, Levin made his way to a tea room in Saint Denis. He'd gotten Sadie's letter, informing him that she wanted to meet up with him before she left. This was what he was waiting for all along, the final piece of the story.

He was about to sit down and wait when one of the waiters went to him, coughing to get his attention.

"Sir, the lady in the corner has requested your company." The waiter told him. Levin looked over to the table he was indicating, seeing a woman dressed in the latest Saint Denis finery. A long, ankle-length, pale blue skirt, and delicate leather boots, with a white blouse. She was wearing a hat that looked like an Algernon Wasp creation if ever he saw one. It was the same colour as the skirt, and had numerous plumes of various colours cascading from it. The hat was tipped down over the lady's face.

"Are you sure?" Levin asked him. The waiter nodded.

"She was most insistent." He answered. Levin just nodded, before heading over to the table. He removed his hat as he got to the table.

"I understand you asked for the pleasure of my company?" He asked her.

"Well, you ain't that bad a person to spend some time with." A familiar voice said. She tipped the hat upward, revealing her face.

"Mrs Adler!" He exclaimed. He had never seen Sadie dressed anything like this. "You look…well…you look WELL!"

"The stomach's still a little tender, but…I just try not to laugh too hard." She replied.

"Your outfit is…"

"I just figured it's probably for the best that I try to blend in a little." Sadie told him. She handed him a stack of papers. "Here's what I promised, now if you want to start readin' 'em now, that'd be fine, because my ship leaves tomorrow so that don't leave long if you want to ask any questions."

"Pardon my asking, but…you've never worried too much about blending in before." He stated. "Why would it be an issue now?"

"Let's just say that pretty soon it'll be a good thing I'll be on that ship." She told him, tapping the papers. Levin picked the pages up and started reading.

In Blackwater one morning, Agent Ross strolled into the Bureau of Investigation building, strutting like a King among his subjects. His self-important swagger and puffed out chest were the mark of a man for whom everything had fallen into place.

His career had been made eight years ago when he broke the Van Der Linde Gang. The Pinkerton Detective Agency had been a fine employer for him, a great learning ground and a good stepping stone to greater prestige and glory. He hadn't cared that he didn't get one red cent from the bounties of the Van Der Linde Gang. They had scattered to the winds, run off and disappeared like rats into the wilderness. The only one confirmed as dead was Arthur Morgan, and while the five thousand dollars on his head would have given him an enviable life, he had traded it in for something much more valuable.

The others in the office continued working, checking mail, leads, and generally trying to avoid his gaze as he came in. Although he loved the fame and prestige his new position had given him, he was not willing to stop there. He had made some rather bold promises to the press when he was being lauded as the man to civilise the country. He had broken the most famous outlaw gang, but he had promised more than that. He had promised that before his time was done, he would bring every last outlaw either to prison, or the gallows.

It was a big promise, but one he enthusiastically intended to keep. He got to his office, a large, gross affair that had been decked out with all sorts of wood panelling, carvings and picture frames containing the various headlines he had been in all around.

He wore a conservative, though expensive suit, which he wore with the jacket open, and the waistcoat closed. His tie was perfectly straight, and a bowler hat looked like it was wedged permanently onto his head. He had a gold watch, whose decorative chain stretched across his belly, and his face was clean-shaven, other than a styled, but not overly flamboyant moustache.

On one wall, there were a number of pictures of fugitives still at large, the most prominent being Bill Williamson, Micah Bell, Javier Escuella and Dutch Van Der Linde himself. There were a bunch of papers all around them, with pieces of string connecting up various potential leads that he had heard of. He looked forward to the day he could take each of those pictures down. He sat behind his desk, seeing the pile of mail in his in-box extended up almost a whole foot. He just grunted, before opening a drawer and pulling out a bottle of wry, pouring himself a glass. He put the bottle away and pulled out another one, this one full of fine cigars. As he leaned across his desk, activating a table lighter, his partner, Archer Fordham came in.

"Good afternoon sir." Fordham told him. "How was your trip?"

"Stuff and nonsense." He grunted. There were parts of his job he hated now. While he did love the press, the glory and all the benefits that came with it, he was becoming trapped by his own reputation. He could have retired a couple of years ago. He probably should have, but people in the Capital and the Press kept pressuring him to stay. He'd made grand promises and he'd brought in some impressive results, so they were a little reluctant to get him go out to pasture just yet. "Any news?"

"Nothing concrete." Fordham told him, putting a package on the top of his in-tray. "This came for you this morning…"

"I swear, even when he stops committing crimes that Bell seems determined to give me ulcers." He complained, grabbing the package. He tore it open, pulling out the contents. Fordham decided to leave before he got in an even worse mood. Ross checked the contents of the package on his desk. There was a letter, a map, and a little box. He started to read the letter.

'Dear Agent Ross, I hope you find this well.' It began. 'May I congratulate you on your fine reputation. However, I feel like even someone as illustrious as you could use a helping hand once in a while. A little point in the right direction from someone with their "ear" to the ground.'

He furrowed his brows, before looking to the box. He opened it, and dropped it almost straight away.

"Jesus Christ!" He exclaimed, seeing the ear flop onto his desk. He picked up the letter.

'The little gift I sent you, that belonged to Micah Bell. You want to find the rest of the son of a bitch? He's up on Mount Hagan. Now, I know you couldn't catch your own ass without a good guide, so find enclosed a little map that should be helpful. Yours Sincerely, Kid Van Der Linde.'

Back in Saint Denis, the afternoon was starting to give way to the evening. Sadie just sat patiently while Levin read the final accounts of her movements. He'd already got the story about Micah, the mountain, her injury. Now, she was just filling him in on the last parts. Her movements in those final days. He looked up to her as he finished.

"South America?" He asked her. She just nodded.

"My stuff should be nicely loaded up." She told him. "I reckon it'll take that sack of shit Ross at least a couple of days to get to the top of Mount Hagan. It'll probably take at least a few weeks for you to have this book out, so by then, I'll be long since gone."

"South America?" He asked again. Sadie just looked to him curiously.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" She asked him. He just looked to her for a moment.

"And that's where you WANT to go?" He asked her. She just shook her head.

"You've completely lost me Mr Levin." She stated.

"I just thought…some of the things…you didn't…" He started to say, but he couldn't quite form a cohesive thought. She just sighed and shook her head.

"I hope you write your book better than that Mr Levin." She replied, getting up from the table. "I'm gonna head to my cabin now. The ship sails early in the morning, so…I guess this is goodbye."

"It looks that way." Levin replied, sounding a little disappointed. He offered her a hand, but she turned it away, instead opting to hug him.

"Take care of yourself Mr Levin." She told him. "And I'll be buyin' that book, so you be sure and make me look good."

With that, she headed for the ship. Levin watched her go, before packing up his papers, all except for a couple of pages, and headed towards the room he had booked. In the morning, he would begin his long journey back home to Baltimore, which would give him some time to collate the notes and figure out what he wanted to put into the book and what would remain just in his confidence. He read some of the passages again. He'd been a writer his entire adult life, he felt like he was able to read people, but it seemed on this…it seemed he had read it wrong.

In her cabin, Sadie threw her hat onto the bed. She had booked herself a first-class cabin, figuring if she was only going to be making the trip once, then she would do it right. It was larger than her old homestead, with a huge four-poster bed, antique furniture, and had some refreshments set out. She grabbed a decanter and poured herself a brandy to get rid of the taste of tea. She honestly had no idea why anyone would drink tea. It made her think perhaps the citizens of Boston had the right idea.

She took the cut crystal glass and headed out onto the balcony, looking out over Saint Denis. She would miss her friends, but the country itself…it had taken enough from her. She'd had enough, and she was glad that soon it would be behind her.

_But what next?_

She turned this way and that. Had she really heard that? She just shook her head. She must have been hearing things.

She took a sip of her brandy and tried to imagine what she would do once she got to South America. She had plenty of money to start fresh pretty much anywhere she wanted. Hell, that was even if she wanted to. She could easily just buy a little home for herself and live out her days with no one to piss her off…

…so why did that sound so bad? There was a time that sounded like exactly what she wanted. So why did that thought not satisfy her now? OK, she had always been used to working, surely that had to be it. She had skills that people would always need…

…so why did that not feel like it was the answer either? Spending her life running around after bastards until finally one of them was just quick or lucky enough to bring her down? She'd always thought about the end, she had since that day on the edge of the creek near Hanging Dog Ranch. The day would come that she would ask…why go on? Was that what was on her mind now? She took another sip. She could remember John yelling at her, screaming at her for even suggesting that kind of end.

"_There are people that care about you Sadie."_ His voice echoed in her mind. _"More'n you'll ever know."_

She leaned on the balcony. Why was this bothering her now? All she needed to do now was wait until morning, she could figure all this out when she was no longer in the country…

There was a breeze, and her braid fell before her. She could see the eagle feather trinket in her hair. She couldn't bring herself to remove it, even when she was in disguise.

"_I never wanted to say goodbye."_ Charles' voice came to her. She gulped down some more brandy. Where had that come from? Why was she thinking about…?

"_I owed Rains Fall a great debt."_ Charles' voice said again. _"He returned something very precious to me."_

She held her head in her hands. A long-dead memory came to her, or…was it a dream. A delusion. She couldn't be sure. It was back in Lakay, when she was teetering between life and death after the Night Folk attacked. In a misty, shimmering scene before her, she could see Rains Fall and Charles.

"_These medicines are rare. They are very precious." _Rains Fall said.

"_I will do whatever it takes to repay."_ Charles promised him. _"Please, I pray she has my heart."_

Sadie almost dropped the glass. Was that really a memory? She had been upset when Charles had told her he never wanted to say goodbye, but was that because he didn't want to say goodbye or…

Memories flashed to her. Those times in Waipiti, teaching her to hunt as his people did. Those early days by the campfire in the many gang camps. The time he wrapped the blanket around her up on Mount Hagan. The glass slipped from her hand, crashing to the deck below.

She ran from her cabin, down to the lower deck, where a porter was looking to the glass, trying to figure out what was going on. She grabbed him.

"Get my bags." She told him.

"I'm sorry?" He asked.

"I've made a huge mistake! Get my bags!" She told him, pointing frantically to another ship. "Put them on that ship!"

"But Mrs Adler, the bags are already…"

She grabbed some cash out of her clothing, holding it in front of him.

"I will give you a hundred dollars RIGHT NOW if you get my bags on that boat!" She told him. The man just took the money, nodding frantically.

Six weeks later.

Levin was in his home, back in Baltimore. A nice little apartment with a good view of the city. Kind of a nice little hidey hole that gave him privacy, but enough access to the outside world to get some inspiration.

He had finished his book remarkably quickly. Between his notes and Sadie's, the story was very comprehensive, and he only needed to rework the parts that involved John, carefully editing him out of the story. Sadie was now long since gone, no doubt, he imagined, raising all sorts of hell down south. There were always fugitives, and there were regions with conflict so rife there was always someone looking for a good fighter. He wondered perhaps if he should start writing a series of stories about a travelling female mercenary, turning up to right wrongs and overthrow bandit leaders in her honour. His publisher didn't seem quite so enthusiastic about that idea though, and reminded him his Otis Miller stories were still a good source for his bread and butter.

The publisher was delighted by the book though. 'The Confessions of Sadie Adler, aka Kid Van Der Linde' had hit the shelves, and almost as soon as it had they were flying off again. There were stories of brawls taking place in some stores when people couldn't get their hands on a copy. The book was now the biggest selling thing in the country!

The shockwaves beyond the book only guaranteed its success. Once the news hit the papers, Sadie's words and confessions had blown open the mystique of the final days of the Van Der Linde Gang, and solved the mysteries of the identity of Kid Van Der Linde, and confirmed the death of Micah Bell. Agent Ross had found the corpse on the mountain some time before the book was released, and he had confirmed some of the details in the book could only have been known by someone who was there. Sadie's wanted poster was now in sheriff's offices and post offices the length and breadth of the country, but it was a moot point. She had planned it that way. Ross now had to accept that there was one Van Der Linde that was well and truly beyond his reach.

He was sitting at his desk, reading another glowing letter from his publisher with his royalties check. This book would keep him going for quite some time if this kept up. It didn't matter if it took him a while to figure out the next farcical adventure for Otis Miller to go on.

He moved onto some fan letters. He was getting plenty, but he liked to read four or five before starting to write each day. Kind of a boost to his ego to get him going. He opened one envelope, and started to read.

"Dear Mr Levin, greetings from your loving niece Caroline." It began. Levin blinked a few times. He didn't have a niece called Caroline. He had a couple of nephews and nieces, but none named…

The penny dropped. Tacitus Kilgore. When Sadie had written to Tacitus, she addressed her letters as being from his niece Caroline! He shoved everything else to the side and started reading.

"I have heard you are doing very well. I managed to get a copy of your book, and I must say I enjoyed reading it thoroughly." She continued. "Though I hope you don't think it too pushy if I make a couple of suggestions. Little…updates to the story if you will."

A couple of weeks previously, Charles was in his tribe's new camp, overseeing the day's activities. They had managed to find themselves some good land, land they could work and land that they could hunt on. Children were playing, while the older ones learned from their older siblings, people were crafting tools, clothing and blankets, and some were preparing meals from the bounty of their days' labours. Charles had secured their future, using his share of the loot to buy the land. Now, there would be no reservations being torn up whenever someone else wanted the land. No, now they had somewhere to call their own…and he had the title deed to prove it.

Even Rains' Fall was doing well. As well as could be expected anyway. He was an old man, and getting quite frail. Now he no longer had the burden of leadership on his shoulders, others could take care of him and ensure he was provided for in the time he had left. Charles wandered over to some children, who were practicing throwing tomahawks by a target. He saw a young boy being mocked, and getting quite frustrated as he missed the target for the fourth or fifth time in a row.

"Come, watch this." Charles told him. He pulled out his own tomahawk, lining up with the target. "You're snatching at it. You're jerking too much, like this."

He demonstrated without releasing the tomahawk.

"The pull in your shoulder is what's making you miss." He explained. "You want to make it a nice, smooth motion, like this."

He pulled back the tomahawk past his ear, and then smoothly brought it through, again keeping his hand on it.

"No jerking, just a nice, smooth motion." Charles explained, showing him again. "You don't need to throw quickly, that's what practice is for. You can increase your speed later. For now, just make it a nice, smooth…"

He was about to throw to demonstrate, but another tomahawk flew right past him, hitting the target. He turned around, and his jaw almost hit the ground. He stared at her as she stood before him.

"Sadie!" He gasped. "I…I…"

"You must be quite something with your speeches to your people Your Highness." She greeted him. Charles just stared at her dumbfounded.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her. "I thought you were going south."

"I was." She replied, coming closer to him. Her heart was racing now. "I um…I was thinkin' about some things…and um…"

She was at a loss. She came in closer, reaching a hand up to his face, looking into his eyes. She'd been driven by hate, by anger for so long, she had never imagined that she could feel anything else. Charles put his hand on hers, holding it to her face, before reaching to her with his other hand, reaching it around behind her head. He leaned in, and pressed his lips to hers. There were a number of cheers from the children watching, but neither Charles nor Sadie noticed at all. As they parted, Sadie just looked to him, some tears running down her face.

"You really want this?" He asked her. She just nodded in response, at which they held each other in a long, warm embrace.

Back in his apartment, Levin finished reading the letter with a smile.

"Well, it's just a suggestion, a thought for a little correction in how the story ends. But now reading it, I reckon that maybe that's something of an ending just for you to enjoy.

Yours Sincerely, your loving niece Caroline."

Levin smiled brightly as he reached for his table lighter, and set light to the letter, watching it burn. He had his story, and he was happy with how it ended. It seemed he had read it right after all.

FIN.


End file.
